


Always Be My Baby

by CallMeSami



Category: Braceface (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Tragedy, Drama, Drama & Romance, F/M, First Time, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, Loss of Virginity, Love, Morning After, Morning Sickness, Pregnancy, Romance, Sex, Sleeping Together, Teen Pregnancy, Teen Romance, Teenage Drama, Tragedy, Unplanned Pregnancy, Virginity, Young Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2019-07-06
Packaged: 2019-09-24 21:32:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 24
Words: 73,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17108507
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CallMeSami/pseuds/CallMeSami
Summary: When a tragic loss occurs, Sharon doesn't think she'll ever get over it. But then she receives more life-changing news. How will she cope? And how will her friends and family react? Sharon/Alden, Alyson/Connor, Nina/Griffin and a little Maria/Brock.





	1. Time Of Your Life

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note:  
> My third Braceface story! The third Braceface fanfic to be published on this site too. I want to give a huge thank you to anyone who has stuck around and read my stories! This is gonna be my first one with chapters, so be nice! I'll warn you that this one is gonna be sad, but I am planning a happy ending. Involves a character death.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Braceface and am making no money writing this story. No need to sue.

Sharon Spitz watched as her boyfriend, Alden Jones, put her suitcase and bags into the trunk of his car and closed it. She felt like she had a million butterflies fluttering around in her stomach and felt weak in the knees. This was gonna be her first overnight trip with Alden. With just the 2 of them, that is. Of course, she had to tell her mother, Helen, that Alden's older sisters, Violet and Daisy, were going to be there. Otherwise, she never would've let Sharon go.

It was the last weekend before they had to go back to school for the year and they were going to Alden's family cottage in Northern Canada. Alden organized this whole thing as a late 2 year anniversary present to Sharon, who he knew desperately wanted some alone time with him. It felt like they were surrounded by either friends or family all the time. And while Sharon loved them all dearly, she really wanted to have Alden all to herself sometimes. Just the 2 of them. She was a sucker for romance. And she always thought cottages were so romantic!

Alden put an arm around Sharon. "Are you ready to go, babe?"

She kissed him and smiled. "Ready."

They both got into the car, buckled up and Alden started driving. She was so lucky to have a boyfriend who had his own car! His parents had given it to him for his 16th birthday. Sharon's parents weren't as generous though. She had to borrow her mom's car when she needed to drive somewhere and was told that if she wanted her own, she would have to earn the money for it. Just like her older brother, Adam, did. She was planning on getting a job when the school year started. This summer, she didn't want to sacrifice one moment of freedom! It was the last one before she graduated high school, after all.

As Alden was driving and putting on some Green Day, Sharon could still feel her stomach doing cartwheels. She took a sip of water from her water bottle to try to calm her nerves. The reason why she was so nervous is because she knew exactly what all her friends were going to expect to happen this weekend. And maybe even Alden himself was expecting it despite telling her otherwise. Everyone was expecting them to consummate their relationship.

Despite the fact that they'd been together for 2 years now and were madly in love, she just didn't feel ready to take that step with him. They were the last 2 virgins left in their circle of friends. In spite of the fact that they were technically together the longest if you counted the first run of their relationship in junior high.

Connor and Alyson were the first ones to lose it. On their 1 year anniversary back in the 10th grade. Alyson gushed all about how wonderful and romantic it was to Sharon and Maria the next day. It really was no surprise considering Connor was the romantic type.

Maria and Brock were next. For them, it happened at the beginning of this summer. When they had their own little getaway to Brock's parents' lake house. This one was right across from Camp Kookalah, where Sharon and Maria used to attend camp every summer up until the year they did Enviro-Camp instead. Now they just decided to spend the rest of their summer breaks in Elkford to be with their friends before everyone would possibly be going their separate ways.

Of course, everything already felt like it was changing. And so fast too. Maria now constantly talked about how sex was her new favorite "sport". Sharon couldn't believe it. Her tomboy best friend had turned to mush over something like sex.

Sharon started thinking. Alden was ready. He had been for a while now. But he respected that Sharon wasn't. He was willing to wait until she was. Alden was such a sweet guy and she was glad that he never pressured her. She did compromise a little by going to 2nd base with him, but that was the furthest they'd gone. And she wouldn't even take her shirt off for that. She had now grown to a 34B, but she was still very insecure about her breasts. She was constantly comparing herself to other girls her age who had bigger boobs.

Was this the reason she wasn't ready for sex yet? Because she was insecure about what Alden would think of her body? Or perhaps she was scared of getting hurt. Though there should be no reason for her to be. She trusted Alden with her life and he had been nothing but faithful to her throughout their relationship. And even though he was the one who broke up with her initially, he was also the one who asked her to take him back. He said himself that dumping her wasn't one of his better decisions. And he's treated her like gold ever since. Suddenly, she was having trouble coming up with any good reason to continue waiting.

"You ok, Sharon?" Alden asked, jolting her out of her thoughts.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Why?"

"You just seem distracted. You haven't said a word since we got in the car."

"I was just thinking."

"Remember what I told you." He said as he turned left at the intersection. "Nothing has to happen this weekend. We're doing this to spend some time alone together. That's all. We're not gonna do anything you're not ready for. We'll even sleep in separate beds. In separate rooms."

"Oh, well we don't have to... sleep in different rooms. I mean, the rooms do have 2 beds, right?"

"Sure, I guess we can share a room. As long as you're ok with that."

"It's fine."

When they finally arrived at the cottage, they unloaded the car and put their luggage into the room they decided they were going to sleep in tonight.

"This is gonna be fun." Sharon thought. "It'll be just like living in a college dorm with a roommate. In a co-ed dorm, that is."

She walked over to the full-length mirror and took a look at herself. She hadn't changed all that much since the day she and Alden got back together. She was a little bit taller and now had boobs, even if they weren't as big as the pump-up bra made them look. But she would never make the mistake of wearing one of those again! Not after the disastrous results the last time brought.

Her hair had grown past her waist and she now wore her bangs straight across her forehead. She had given up her signature hair clip at the beginning of 11th grade last year in favor of this more mature style. She had also been free of her braces (and all their negative side effects) since the beginning of 10th grade.

Her current outfit consisted of a baby blue three-quarter sleeved button down crop top and blue denim shorts. She wore black sequined flip flops that showed off her red pedicured toes.

Alden very quietly walked up behind Sharon and put his arms around her waist. This startled the blonde teen and caused her to yelp. Alden laughed in response.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" She cried, playfully smacking his arm. 

Alden wrapped his arms tighter around her waist and gave her a peck on the cheek. Then took a look at both of them in the full-length mirror.

"You're so beautiful. You need to stop being so down on yourself."

Sharon turned around and kissed him on the lips. "I love you." She said as she smiled at him.

"I love you too." He smiled back.

They both ate a salad that Sharon had made for lunch. Later, they went swimming in the lake and canoeing. Sharon had put on a hot pink bikini that her friend, Alyson Malitski, had advised her to get. At first, she was feeling self conscious about the way she looked in it. But the way Alden was staring at her once he saw her erased all that.

"Wow!" He exclaimed. "You look incredible!"

"Thanks..." She replied, blushing slightly.

They also made out on the docks. Alden ran his hands all over her body. Her bare legs, arms, back and stomach. She had to admit, it felt REALLY good to have him touch her like that. It did make her wonder what having sex with him would be like. It must be pretty amazing if people are so obsessed with it, right? And they were on a weekend getaway in a highly romantic cottage. So it would be a momentous occasion. Maybe she was finally ready to lose her virginity.

She and Alden both made spaghetti and tomato sauce for dinner together. Cooking was another common skill they shared besides writing songs. Sharon learned it from her father, Richard Spitz, and Alden picked it up helping out in his parents' restaurant, Pick-a-Pita. They had fun cooking together while talking, laughing and even getting into a little food fight by throwing tomato sauce at each other.

Alden set up the atmosphere of the dining room they were eating in perfectly. He dimmed down the lights and lit a candle on the table. While they enjoyed their candlelit dinner, Alden pulled out a surprise from under the table.

"I found some wine in one of the cabinets. Of course, we don't have to drink if you don't want to. Totally your decision."

Sharon thought about it. She was pretty sure she wanted to go all the way with Alden tonight. But she was still so nervous. Maybe some wine would help her relax a little bit.

"I think some wine might be nice right now." She replied.

Alden poured them both glasses of wine. As they ate and drank, they discussed a song they were writing together for Alden's band, Mangled Metal, which Sharon happened to be assistant manager for. 

After dinner, they went into the bedroom they were sharing and went over to their separate beds. They were both feeling a little tipsy from the wine. As Sharon went over to lie down in her bed, she thought about how much she wanted Alden next to her right now.

"If you want to come over to my bed, we can make out some more. And maybe cuddle for a bit."

"Sure." He said as he walked over to Sharon's bed. He climbed on top of her and kissed her on the lips. He started planting kisses down her neck. Then he undid the top 2 buttons of her shirt and felt her breasts underneath her bra. That felt so good!

"If you want to see them... well... I'm ok with that."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

He unbuttoned the rest of her shirt, revealing her pink bra with tiny black polka dots. He gently pulled her shirt off her arms and laid it down on the bed. As he reached to unhook her bra, she lifted her back up to help him out. She braced herself as he pulled her bra off.

"This is it." She thought to herself. "He's going to see them..."

Once Sharon's bra was off, Alden dropped it to the floor and stared at her bare chest. She was feeling super self conscious. She instinctively wanted to cover her breasts with her hands. Until she saw the way he was looking at them. It was a look of adoration. The same look he gave her when he told her he loved her or that she was beautiful. Suddenly, all her insecurities about her chest size disappeared.

He spent some time squeezing and caressing them. His mouth moved down to her right breast. He looked up at her and she nodded her head, letting him know she was ok with what he was about to do. He sucked on both her nipples and licked around them. She moaned in pleasure. This really did feel amazing! Alden pulled back though.

"I think we should stop now. This is making me want to go further with you."

"What if I want you to go further with me?"

"Do you?"

"Yeah. I'm ready now!"

"Sharon, is this the wine talking? I don't want to take advantage of you..."

"It's not the wine. I've been drunk before and I don't feel that way at all right now. I was thinking about it on the drive over here and on the docks. I really can't think of any good reasons to wait anymore. And you're the perfect boyfriend. You always have been. So I want to lose my virginity with you. Tonight. As long as you still want to, that is."

"I do." He said as he unbuttoned her shorts and pulled them down, along with her panties that matched her bra.

She quickly became very aware that she was completely naked in front of Alden. Her body went tense. The brunette boy noticed exactly how nervous she was and wanted to help. He realized that he was still fully clothed. Maybe she'd feel better if she wasn't the only one naked? He took Sharon's hands and placed them at the bottom of his shirt, guiding her hands to take it off. Then he put one of her hands on the fly of his jeans. She caught on to what he was trying to do and unzipped his jeans, removing them and throwing them on the floor. She reached up and gave him a peck on the lips right before pulling down his red plaid boxers. She started to relax a little more as she stared at Alden's nude body above her. She admired his six-pack abs and muscular tone. All the sports he played definitely paid off!

"I'm sorry." She said. "I want to do this with you. I really do. I guess I'm just nervous."

"It's ok." He replied, as he tried to think of how to ease her into it. He started fingering her. Sharon felt herself overcome with the best feeling she ever experienced. She softly moaned as he continued and screamed out his name when he hit a sensitive spot. She grabbed onto the sheets of the bed. Alden felt her clamp down on him. He didn't exactly have a lot of experience with this, but he was pretty sure he just gave Sharon an orgasm. He wasn't arrogant, but he did like knowing he made her feel good.

"Are you ready now?" He asked.

She nodded her head. "Let's do this!"

He entered her slowly, realizing the first time might be painful for her. At least going by what Brock told him about his first time with Maria.

Sharon winced in pain once Alden was inside her. Alyson and Maria had warned her about the first time hurting for them. However, this was more pain than she expected.

Alden saw the pained expression on her face. She looked like she wanted to cry. 

"Are you ok?" He asked her.

"Yeah." She replied. "It just hurts a little more than I thought it would."

"I can stop if you want."

"No, keep going. I'll be fine."

He continued to thrust inside Sharon, hoping she would start to feel good soon. He hated causing her pain, but knew it was better to get all the first time pain and awkwardness out of the way.

Soon enough, the pain did go away and the pleasure was unbearable! She moaned for the second time that night. When Alden realized she was enjoying herself, he went faster and deeper inside her. After lots of moaning, panting and screaming from both of them, Alden released inside Sharon as they both reached their peak.

"How do you feel?" He asked.

"Wow!" Was all she could say in response.

"Couldn't have said it better myself! This was totally worth the wait."

"I'm glad you feel that way. Now I totally get the obsession with sex. I'm glad we did it. I feel closer than ever to you now."

"Same." He pulled her in for a hug. "I love you."

"I love you too." She said as she hugged back.

Sharon and Alden pulled the sheets up over them, cuddled and fell asleep together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Please let me know what you thought in the reviews. I welcome all comments, suggestions, praise, criticism, etc. After all, I can't improve as a writer unless you tell me how! Chapter 2 is coming soon. Merry Christmas to those who celebrate!


	2. Then The Morning Comes

The next morning, Sharon and Alden woke up in each other's arms.

"Hi." She said as she smiled at him.

"Hi back." He replied, also smiling.

As the 2 teenage lovers got out of bed, they both took a look at each other's naked bodies once again. Clearly both liking what they saw.

"I'm gonna hop in the shower now." Alden said as he nervously put a hand behind his head. "I know how much you care about the environment. So if you want to conserve water by showering with me... well.. I definitely wouldn't mind..."

Sharon laughed and rolled her eyes. It felt like they were in junior high all over again.

"If you want me to join you, all you have to do is ask. We did just have sex last night, so I think we're past being shy around each other. But sure, let's be environmentally friendly by saving water with a single shower instead of 2 separate showers." She smiled and took his hand as they both headed to the bathroom together.

After they enjoyed their first shower together, they got dressed and started packing up. Sharon put on a baby blue t-shirt, black ruffled miniskirt and the same black sequined flip-flops she wore yesterday. She spent some time blow drying her blonde hair, getting it shiny and pin straight with her bangs perfectly aligned.

Sharon and Alden sat down to have breakfast together. Alden had made pancakes while Sharon was doing her hair, topped with strawberries they both picked yesterday afternoon. They talked while eating breakfast.

"So..." Alden started off. "I know we were both a little tipsy from the wine last night. Are you having any regrets about what we did after dinner?"

Sharon looked into his gorgeous blue eyes and smiled. "No. Last night was amazing. I'm happy it happened. It really felt like it was the right time."

Alden sighed in relief at this. He was glad she didn't feel having sex was a mistake. However, he knew that might change when he told her the next part.

"There is something else I should tell you." He said nervously. "Before we came on this trip, I didn't think you were gonna be ready. Which I was totally fine with. But I didn't bring any condoms with me because I thought you might feel pressured if you accidentally saw them. So I'm pretty sure we didn't use anything last night."

Sharon dropped her fork as she felt her chest tighten. Did she really just have unprotected sex? As she thought about it, she realized he was right. She remembered feeling him cum inside her. This is something she shouldn't have felt if a condom had been there. She never saw him put one on either. But she was too caught up in the bliss of being deflowered to care at the time.

"Are you on the pill?" He asked, with a glimmer of hope in his voice.

"No." She said as she looked down at her pancakes. "This is probably a conversation we should've had before we jumped into bed together, huh?"

"Yeah." He replied. "Look, it's my fault. I should've told you I didn't have protection when you told me you were ready. But I was so excited at the thought of finally getting to sleep with you that... well... I guess I just wasn't thinking at all..."

"It's just as much my fault as it is yours. I never asked you to put a condom on or checked to make sure you were wearing one. And I never told you I'm not on the pill. It's the girls' responsibility to be prepared too. And I wasn't. I was also too caught up in the moment to think."

"Ok, so I guess we were both stupid then."

"Well, I mean... this was the first time for both of us, right?"

"Yeah..."

"So what are the chances of actually getting pregnant the first time? Even married couples who want to have kids don't usually get pregnant on their first try. It takes a few months most of the time. So I doubt it's that likely to happen to us after just one instance of unsafe sex."

"I guess so." He said with a sigh. Then he reached over to Sharon and took her hands into his. "But listen. If you did get pregnant, I'm here for you. And I'm not going anywhere. I'll support you no matter what you want to do. I'll help you out with raising the baby if you want to keep it. Hell, I'll even marry you if that's what you want."

"Really? You'd marry me?"

"If that was the best thing for our baby."

Sharon giggled slightly. "That's very sweet of you, Alden. But first, let's wait to find out if there even is a baby before we start thinking about marriage."

"My point is, I'm not the kind of guy who would just ditch his girlfriend after getting her pregnant. Especially when that girl is you. You know that, right?"

"I do." She smiled. "And it's one of the reasons I love you so much."

"I love you too." He smiled back. "And I'll take care of you, no matter what happens. I promise."

Sharon happily finished her pancakes. Alden was going to take care of her! Everything was gonna be ok.

They had a pleasant car ride home. Alden had put on some Smash Mouth and the 2 teens sang along. They also had fun simply talking and laughing.

"I'm gonna miss that cottage." Sharon said, sighing wistfully.

"Me too." Alden replied. "But don't worry, we'll go back again soon."

"I remember the first time we went there. It was us, your sisters, Maria, Brock and Marlo."

"Oh, yeah. When we both got poison ivy!" He responded with a laugh.

"Totally my fault!" She also laughed. "But you didn't even get mad at me. I was so relieved! We also had a nice conversation in the boathouse when I was looking after the baby loon I found."

"I remember that. That was right after Marlo dumped me. It hurt at the time, but turned out to be a good thing because it paved the way for us to be together again. And I really liked Marlo, but don't think I ever loved her. Not the way I love you. Plus, you and I built up a great friendship during that time. So now we're friends as well as a couple. I think that's why our relationship is so much stronger this time around."

"I agree." She started to chuckle. "I was still in braces back then. I'm so glad to no longer have those!"

Alden also laughed. "Hey, I thought you were cute with your braces."

"Really?"

"Really. Not that you aren't cute now. You know you're cute either way. With or without braces."

"Thanks." Sharon responded with a small smile.

"But if I'm being honest, I think you look best without your clothes." He said with a mischievous grin on his face. "Like last night and this morning. I wouldn't mind seeing that more often!"

"I think that can be arranged." She said, grinning back at him. "I do want to make love to you again soon."

"I think I'll go to the drugstore to pick up some condoms tonight. That way we don't have to worry about being unprepared again."

"And I'll talk to my doctor about going on the pill."

"Good idea."

When they got to Sharon's house, she and Alden made out briefly before Sharon went inside. They both said they loved each other and Alden promised to call her later that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> End of chapter 2! Hope you all enjoyed it! I love writing out conversations between Sharon and Alden because they're just so damn cute together! And I love having them talk about their history on the show. The Loooong Weekend is my absolute favorite episode, so it was nice to reference it.
> 
> Chapter 3 will be posted in January 2019. Happy New Year to all my readers!


	3. Another Brick In The Wall

True to his word, Alden did indeed call Sharon that night. She was dressed in her sky blue plaid shorts and matching solid blue tank top pajama set, getting ready for bed. She had just unpacked those pajamas. She was going to wear them at the cottage, until she and Alden had a slight change in plans regarding bedtime wear.

"I don't really want to go back to school tomorrow." Sharon said with a sigh.

"Me neither." Alden replied. He was in his car getting ready to go out. "But just focus on the bigger picture. This is our senior year! Our last year of high school. And we have big plans after graduation, right?"

"Right." She responded with a smile.

It was true, they did. Alden was gonna go to Julliard with his bandmates, Brock and Carmen, to help advance Mangled Metal's career. At the same time, they were hoping to score a record deal by playing gigs around New York with the help of their band manager, Maria. Maria was planning on going to NYU for their business program and Sharon also wanted to go to NYU for their veterinary program. The possibility of Sharon, Alden, Maria and Brock getting an apartment together had come up. But if that didn't work out, Sharon and Maria could dorm together at NYU while Alden and Brock could be roommates at Julliard. The schools were close enough to each other so that they'd all be able to hang out all the time anyway.

One of Sharon's favorite parts about this plan was that she'd get to see her old high school mentor and one of her best friends, Dion, more often! Dion got into FIT after he graduated high school. He was staying in the dorms during the school year and would come back to Elkford for holidays and breaks. It would be cool if he decided to live in NY too if the rest of them did! Sharon missed being able to see him as much as she did back when they were both in Elkford High. When she was a Freshman and he was her Senior mentor.

And now Sharon was going to be a Senior and have her own student to mentor as of tomorrow. It was hard to believe that much time had passed since she first started high school. She and Alden had definitely come a long way since then. Both in their relationship and as people. Even though she wasn't too excited for summer to be ending and school to be starting, she was convinced this was going to be the best year ever!

The only thing that made her sad about their New York plan is that Connor and Alyson weren't gonna be joining them. They were planning on staying in Canada and attending Banting University. Connor was going for their computer science program and Alyson was going for their medical program so she could achieve her back-up dream of becoming a heart surgeon. It seems her first dream of playing in a rock band wasn't panning out. Sharon knew she would miss them both like crazy and wished they would find schools in NY for their desired majors. But they both had their hearts set on Banting. And they both had the grades to get in too.

Sharon climbed into her bed and pulled the sheets over her with one hand, while still holding the phone up to her ear with the other hand. She laid in bed with her cell phone still attached to her ear. She let out a yawn.

"You sound tired." Alden stated.

Sharon giggled. "I guess I'm still worn out from our trip. There was a lot of "physical activity" involved, after all."

The teenage boy gasped in surprise. "Is this "dirty talk" coming from Sharon Spitz? Since when were you into that?"

"Since I discovered how amazing sex is." She replied while trying to keep her voice low. She didn't want Helen or her little brother, Josh, to overhear her.

He laughed. "It was pretty great, huh?"

"Yeah."

"I'm actually on my way to pick up some protection for us right now. My parents wanted me to quickly stop by the restaurant to lock up anyway. So I should get going. How about I stop by your house tomorrow morning and give you a ride to school?"

"That would be awesome!"

"Great, so I'll see you tomorrow then. Why don't you get some sleep in the meantime?"

"Ok. Good night, Alden. I love you."

"I love you too, babe."

They both ended the call at the same time. Alden slipped his phone back in his pocket and drove off. Sharon plugged her phone into it's charger and drifted off to sleep. She so wished Alden was sleeping next to her right now. But her thoughts about being with him the night before and the conversation they just had were keeping her warm. She couldn't wait to see him in the morning!

Her alarm clock woke her up at exactly 7 AM that morning. She did her usual "getting ready for school routine". She decided to wear a black baby doll tank top, skinny jeans and some black ankle boots with a 2 inch heel. She wanted to look nice for the first day of her senior year. But at the same time, she didn't want to seem like she was trying too hard.

While getting ready, she wondered about who she was going to mentor. She hoped she could have a positive impact on a Freshman's life the way Dion did on hers. She also hoped whoever she mentored wouldn't get bullied the way she did her first week of high school. She remembered Evie all too well. Evie was Dion's worst enemy. She held a serious grudge against him after he rejected her as a model in one the annual high school fundraising fashion shows. She decided to take their rivalry out on Sharon by tormenting her and marking her forehead with the number 9, which Sharon had to hide with a bandanna until it completely washed off. This was a hazing ritual sometimes done at Elkford High by cruel upperclassmen to "initiate" helpless freshman. There were also other awful initiations she heard about like some kids being forced to push pennies around a toilet seat with their noses or being covered in shaving cream.

A horrific thought occurred to Sharon. Nina Harper is to her what Evie was to Dion. And Nina was mean enough to pull the sort of things Evie did. Now Sharon kind of hoped she wouldn't be matched with anyone. She would hate for some innocent new kid (who was probably already super scared) to suffer because of her. She decided she was gonna go out of her way to be extra nice to all the 9th graders this week. She'd smile and say hi to each one of them she passed in the hall. This would hopefully help them realize not all seniors are mean and would make them feel less scared. She was gonna try to convince Alden and the rest of her Senior friends to do the same.

Speaking of Alden, where was he? He was supposed to pick Sharon up 10 minutes ago. They were gonna be late if he didn't arrive soon. She called his cell to see how far he was. No answer. Hopefully that meant he was driving and on his way. Sharon finished her apple and threw out the core. Helen tried to talk her into sitting down at the breakfast table to have a full meal. But Sharon insisted she didn't have time because Alden was gonna be there any second. Looks like she would've had the time after all. Helen was always so worried about the way Sharon ate. Especially after she'd been through anemia.

Another 10 minutes had passed and still no sign of Alden. She decided to call his house phone to see if he even left yet. Maybe one of his parents or sisters would answer and could tell her what's going on. No answer on the home phone either. Really weird. This wasn't like Alden at all. Could he have overslept?

Suddenly, Sharon heard the doorbell ring. It had to be Alden!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stay tuned for chapter 4!


	4. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

Sharon ran to the door and answered it. Only to see her friend, Connor MacKenzie, at the door instead. She couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

"Oh, Connor. Hey." She greeted him apathetically.

"Hey yourself Sharon..." Connor responded as he eyed her suspiciously. "I was kind of expecting a warmer greeting considering we haven't hung out in a week."

Sharon sighed. "I'm sorry, Con. I am happy to see you. It's just... I was kind of expecting someone else."

"I see." Connor said, nodding his head. "So is Alden giving you a ride then? Because Alyson is gonna give me one. We're both running a little late, but she still insisted on seeing if you need a lift. But I guess you're ok if Alden is coming for you?"

Sharon looked at her watch. She was supposed to be at school in 7 minutes. But she hadn't heard back from Alden. She really didn't want to be terribly late on the first day of school. She decided to take Alyson up on her offer.

"Well he was supposed to. But I think he overslept because he hasn't been answering my calls. So it looks like I could use a lift after all." 

"Ok then." Connor replied with a smile as Sharon followed him out the door. She sent Alden a quick text to let him know she was getting a ride from Alyson instead.

As Sharon approached her friend Alyson Malitski's car, Alyson eyed Sharon up and down from the drivers seat as she looked out the window and nodded her head in approval.

"Hey Sharon! Nice outfit."

"Thanks! Right back at you! And I'm so borrowing that dress sometime."

Alyson was wearing a white spaghetti strapped sundress with a pink floral print and brown lace-up knee boots with 3 inch heels. Her long light brown hair had subtle blonde highlights running through it.

Connor shook his head and chuckled. "Man, you would think we were going to Fashion Week instead of high school."

"Well that's the way Dion would see it." Sharon replied, as she got into the backseat of the car while Connor slid into the passenger side. They both buckled up.

"Speaking of Dion, how is he?" Alyson asked as she started driving. "It was great seeing him when he was back in Elkford for the summer."

"He's doing good. He's been back at FIT for about a week now. Oh and he just emailed me last night to let me know he's doing an internship with Marie Claire magazine for the fall! They really loved the work he did for his spring fashion portfolio last year. But he still plans on coming back to Elkford during the American Thanksgiving break. That's in late November."

Sharon told Connor and Alyson about her plan to be nice to all the new freshmen and make them feel as welcome as possible. They both liked her idea and decided they would do the same. Alyson was especially all for this since she knew firsthand how mean Nina could be. All those years she spent as Nina's "best friend" felt more like being her servant. The best decision Alyson ever made in her life was to ditch Nina so that she could date Connor and become friends with everyone in his circle. She was so happy to finally have friends who actually cared about her.

Once they arrived at Elkford High, the 3 teenagers got out of the car and approached the building. Alyson quickly pulled Sharon aside.

"You, me and Maria have to meet up after school if we don't all get the same lunch period. We have some questions about your weekend at the cottage with Alden."

"Ok." Sharon said with a smile. She was prepared to answer them. In fact, she was dying to tell the girls all about it! She just wished she could find Alden out here somewhere. He wasn't gonna miss the first day of school, was he? As she made her way to the doors, she bumped into someone and dropped her zebra print backpack.

"Sorry!" She cried out as she bent down to pick up her bag. Then she heard a voice she knew all too well.

"Watch where you're going, Braceface!"

Sharon turned around and saw Nina standing there with a scowl and her arms folded. She had to admit, Nina did look good. She was wearing a purple ruffled strapless dress and black stilettos with 6 inch heels. Her long red hair was pin straight and she had a black headband holding it in place.

She groaned at hearing the dreaded nickname Nina dubbed her with back in 8th grade when she first got her braces. "Nina, we've been over this. I don't have braces anymore. They were removed 2 years ago."

"Doesn't matter." Nina replied with a smirk. "You'll always be Braceface to anyone significant in this school."

Sharon stood and grumbled as Nina walked into the building. Pointing out that she no longer had braces to Nina always ended the same way. Nina would simply remind Sharon she'd never live down that horrible nickname. Suddenly, she couldn't wait for graduation. College had to be better than this.

When Sharon went to the main office for her class schedule, she also found out who she would be mentoring. She was pleasantly surprised to learn she already knew her! She didn't remember the name at first, but then she met up with her in the auditorium and immediately recognized Tracy! Tracy was a girl Sharon had met 3 years ago when she went to the dentist for a routine tightening of her braces. Tracy was freaked out about the possibility of needing braces, so Sharon helped calm her down by telling her stories about her own life. She had no idea Tracy would attend Elkford High. She hadn't changed one bit other than being a few inches taller. The 2 girls hugged when they were reunited.

"I'm so glad I was matched with you!" Tracy exclaimed. "I was so worried I was gonna get paired with someone mean who would torture me or try to make me their slave."

Sharon couldn't help but laugh to herself on the inside. "You sound just like I did on my first day of high school. But this place really isn't so bad. Tell you what? I'll introduce you to my friends after school. They're all really good people and they'll do what they can to help you out here. Just like me."

"That would be awesome! Thanks." Tracy replied. She was excited at the idea of having Senior friends.

"No problem. I believe you already met Alden, right?"

"Yes, I did. Did you guys finally get back together?"

Sharon giggled. "As a matter of fact, we did. Shortly after you and I met, he broke up with Marlo. Then we ended up getting back together that summer, after he admitted he still had feelings for me. And we've been going strong ever since."

"I knew it! You and Alden were totally meant to be! It's fate. Just like me ending up with you as my mentor after all these years. I mean, what are the chances? Right?"

Sharon nodded her head. "It's funny how life works out sometimes."

"Is he here right now?

"He should be. I'm pretty sure he said he signed up for the Senior mentor program too. But I haven't seen him all morning."

Sharon discreetly slid her phone out of her pocket, hoping no teacher would see her. No missed calls or messages from Alden. Maybe he was sick at home? But it's weird that he didn't call Sharon to tell her he wouldn't be in school today. She was starting to get really worried.

She hoped she and Alden would have at least one morning class together, but no such luck. When lunchtime came, she didn't see him in the cafeteria either. But she did see Maria and Alyson sitting at a table together! She knew they wanted details about what she did with Alden at his cottage. And she was ready to give them what they wanted! Sharon purchased a veggie burger, fries and soda then sat down to join her 2 favorite girls for lunch.

"There she is!" Her best friend, Maria Wong, exclaimed. Maria now had shoulder length hair that she usually wore down. Her red streaked strands were in the front, framing her face. She was wearing a short-sleeved red velour sweatshirt with matching sweatpants and white sneakers.

"Are your ears burning? Because we were just talking about you." Alyson declared.

"Really?" Sharon asked while raising an eyebrow.

"So spill, Spitz!" Maria demanded. "You and Alden were all alone at his cottage this weekend. Did you guys finally do the deed?"

Sharon blushed and looked down at her veggie burger. For some reason, she was suddenly feeling very self-conscious.

"Oh my God, you did! Didn't you?" Alyson squealed.

Sharon very shyly nodded her head. Her face was still red.

"Well, it's about time! I think our circle is virgin-free now. You and Alden were the last 2 left."

"So, how was it?" Maria asked.

"It was nice." Sharon said with a smile on her face.

"Nice? Boots are nice! Come on! We want the details! I told you everything about my first time." Alyson said, sounding annoyed.

"Well, it was nice! At least it was once we got past all the pain and awkwardness. And of course I had to get over the fact that Alden was seeing me completely naked. But he said he liked what he saw, so it was cool. Besides, I got to see him naked too. And he totally didn't disappoint, by the way! He has the perfect body. Overall, I'd say my first time was pretty special. That's all I ever wanted."

"Well, that's great. But I still think you're holding out on us, Spitz! Where's the dirt?" Maria asked.

"Dirt? What dirt? It was only our first time. It's not like we're ready for S&M yet." She decided not to tell the girls that she and Alden didn't use anything. The last thing she wanted was a lecture. And Maria was especially likely to give her one. As much as Sharon loved her best friend, she had a tendency to be judgmental. But she knew it was only because Maria cared and was looking out for her.

She then started wondering where Alden was again. She pulled her phone out of her pocket. She wasn't technically supposed to use it in the cafeteria, but this rule wasn't usually enforced.

"Just give me a second, guys." Sharon said as she called Alden's cell and then house phone. Still no answer. She decided to ask her friends about it.

"Have either of you seen Alden at all? He was supposed to give me a ride to school this morning, but he never showed up. You know it's not like him to flake like that. And I haven't seen him around school. He hasn't been answering any of my calls or texts either. I'm worried."

"No, I haven't seen him." Alyson answered.

"Me neither." Said Maria. "Maybe he's sick? And he could be sleeping, which would explain why he hasn't been answering your calls."

"Maybe. But I still think he would've called or texted as soon as he woke up not feeling well. He would've let me know he couldn't drive me to school."

Well, maybe Brock's talked to him." Maria said. "I'll check with him as soon as I get a chance."

"Thanks, I'd appreciate that." Sharon said as she smiled at her best friend.

When school let out, Sharon met up with Tracy, Maria, Brock, Connor and Alyson outside the high school building. She introduced Tracy to all her friends and they seemed to hit it off with her right away. Sharon was glad she made Tracy's first day of high school a little easier.

Eventually, Tracy, Connor and Alyson all had to go. This left Sharon, Maria and Brock all walking home together.

"So Brock..." Maria started saying. "Sharon and I were wondering if you've seen or heard from Alden today? He was supposed to go to Sharon's house this morning to drive her to school, but he never showed up. And he hasn't been answering any of her calls or texts. So we're both getting a little worried."

"Hmm.." Brock pondered. "I haven't seen him all day myself. And I've also tried calling and texting him. He hasn't answered me either"

Sharon sighed. "I really want to go over to his house, just to make sure he's ok. But I need to get back home and change the cat's litter box. My mom will kill me if I forget again! Plus, I have to make sure all my cats and dogs are fed since everyone's gonna be home late tonight."

"Well, I have some time." Brock said. "So I'll stop by his house quickly to find out what's going on. And I'll phone you as soon as I find out."

"Thanks, Brock." Sharon replied. "You're the best!"

"I know!" He responded with a grin.

Maria rolled her eyes. "Please, Sharon! Don't make his ego even bigger than it already is."

The 3 friends laughed as they continued walking. Sharon was the first stop. She said goodbye to Maria and Brock as she went into her house. She changed the cat's litter box and gave all her pets food and water. She was home for about half an hour before her phone rang. It was Maria. Maybe Brock gave her some news about Alden! She eagerly answered the cell.

"Maria? What's going on with Alden? Is he ok?"

"I don't know. Brock wants all of us to meet in his garage. He sounded upset. In fact, it sounded like he might've been crying. And you know Brock never cries!"

"Who's "all of us"?"

"Me, you, Carmen, Connor and Alyson. He left me in charge of contacting everyone."

Suddenly, Sharon had a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something felt very wrong.

"I'm leaving right now!" She exclaimed as she ran out the door, still on the phone.

"Ok, see you soon."

Both girls hung up. Sharon ran as fast as she could to Brock's house. She had to know what was going on! When she arrived at Brock's garage, she saw all the friends Brock asked for standing around. Brock had a somber expression on his face and looked like he had been crying. All the friends exchanged concerned glances. They had never seen Brock like this before. He was usually the clown of the group who always made everybody laugh.

"What's going on?" Sharon shouted. She didn't mean to yell, but the suspense was driving her crazy.

Brock started crying again. "I'm afraid I have some bad news..."

Sharon froze dead in her tracks and felt her heart stop. She didn't like where this was going...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thank you to everyone who's been reading all the chapters in this story. And special thank you to magic713 for all the positive feedback you've given me! It's hard to get feedback on a Braceface story these days, since the show is not remembered by a lot of people (unfortunately). But it really does mean a lot to a writer. Especially when so much time and effort is put into a story. So thank you once again, magic713! Hope you liked this chapter! I know I ended this chapter on a cliffhanger. Chapter 5 will be up soon enough though! Stay tuned my loyal readers!


	5. Here Without You

"When I got to Alden's house, his mom answered the door." Brock started, tears flowing down his face. "Alden's parents and Violet and Daisy had been up all night crying. They were too upset to answer the phone and explain it to people. Alden was in a car accident last night. He was hit by a drunk driver. Alden and the other driver were both killed on impact. He's dead! My best friend is dead!" Brock took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. He could no longer control how hard he was crying.

The entire group of friends spoke in unison. Brock's news was followed by a bunch of "Whats?", "Oh my Gods!", "Nos!" and "This can't be happenings!". It was hard to tell who was saying what as the shocked teenagers frantically chattered in reaction to the news.

"I don't believe you!" Sharon yelled out among the crowd. She was so loud that everyone stopped talking and stared at her.

She continued. "I don't know what you're trying to pull here, Brock. But it's not funny! Now cut the crap and tell us where Alden really is!"

"I would never joke about something like this, Sharon. He's really gone."

"Stop it! You're lying!"

"Sharon..." Maria said softly, as she put a hand on her best friend's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. "I think Brock is telling the truth. He really wouldn't joke about this kind of thing. And he's crying! Have you ever seen Brock cry before?" Maria had tears slowly flowing down her face as well. She wiped them away with her hands, smudging her perfectly applied eyeliner.

"Oh my God, Maria!" Sharon shouted, as she pushed her best friend's hand off her shoulder. "Don't fall for your boyfriend's crap! He's obviously lying!"

Sharon walked over to Brock and pointed a finger at him. "You've always been jealous of Alden and everybody knows it! You're always accusing him of taking over everything! Especially when it comes to Mangled Metal! You said he was an egomaniac! The truth is, you just can't handle the fact that Alden has better ideas than you!" She was yelling at him the whole time.

Connor walked over to Sharon and took her hand. He had clearly been crying too. "Look, Sharon. I know this is a lot to process. Why don't you come for a walk outside with me and Alyson? He was our friend too. I think it would be good for us to talk about it."

Sharon pulled her hand away from Connor. "Seriously, Connor? Don't tell me you're falling for this too!" She then continued to give Brock a piece of her mind.

"Not only have you always been jealous of Alden, but you've always been jealous of my relationship with him! Hell, it was partly your fault we broke up for a while in 9th grade! You just had to fill his head with all that crap about how it was so much better to be unattached. And you convinced him to hang around Tess, who you knew liked him and wanted to steal him away from me! If it wasn't for you, I never would have written the email that I accidentally posted on the school website. And we would've been together the entire time he was dating Marlo. But noooo, you couldn't handle the fact that we were starting to get serious and it was cutting into how much time he was spending with you! Just admit you're jealous! That's why you're making up this sick lie right now!"

"That's not true!" Brock shouted back. "Don't you remember how I helped you guys get back together at Enviro-Camp? Would I have done that if I was jealous?"

Alyson was the last person to try to get through to Sharon. She walked over to the blonde teenager while sniffling. "Sharon, I really think some fresh air would do you some good. I know how much you love Alden and hearing that he's gone must be difficult..."

"And you believe Brock's lies too?" Sharon said, cutting the brunette girl off. "Why am I the only one who wants to know the truth? You know what? Fine! If you guys won't help me, I'm just gonna go straight to the source myself!" The blonde girl ran out of the garage as fast as she could, not looking back once.

"Sharon!" Alyson called as she started to run after her. But Connor pulled her back.

"No, let her go." He told his girlfriend. "I think she's gonna have to hear this from Alden's family in order for it to sink in."

"I'm still having a hard time believing it myself." Carmen stated. His eyes were red and puffy from crying.

Maria walked over to Brock and hugged him. "You know Sharon didn't mean all those things she said, right? She's just having a hard time dealing with this right now. But believe me, I know my best friend. She's gonna feel bad about the way she talked to you very soon. She will apologize. Just give her time."

Brock nodded his head as he and his girlfriend continued to hug. They were both crying again. In fact, there was not one dry eye in that garage at the moment.

Sharon continued to run from Brock's house. He had to be lying. He just had to be! There was no way Alden was dead! She needed some answers. She found herself wishing she had worn sneakers instead of 2 inch heel boots with all the running she ended up doing today. She stopped running when she got to the familiar house. She rang the doorbell, all out of breath from running. Alden's oldest sister, Lily Jones, answered the door. 

"Lily?" Sharon asked in surprise. Lily had moved out of the Jones residence when she got married last year. So what was she doing there now? Alden didn't mention anything about her planning a visit for today.

"Hi Sharon. Good to see you." Lily sniffled. Her face was puffy and her eyes were red. Had she been crying?

"Good to see you too, Lily. Is Alden home?"

"I guess Brock didn't tell you yet, huh? Why don't you come inside?"

Sharon's heart stopped as she walked into the Jones's house. This couldn't be happening! Lily led Sharon over to the living room couch and motioned for her to sit down. Sharon did so as Lily went into the Jones's kitchen. After a minute, she entered the living room with the rest of the Jones family.

Daisy had offered to make Sharon some tea, but she politely declined. She just wanted to find out what was going on. 

Mrs. Jones started to talk, but broke down in tears and could no longer speak. Mr. Jones took over and repeated the same story Brock had told them. Sharon couldn't believe it. Alden really was dead! How could this be happening? Right after she had just had sex with him for the first time! And now that would be their only time! She would no longer be able to kiss him, hug him, cuddle with him or tell him how much she loved him. She could no longer hold back her tears. She finally broke down and sobbed uncontrollably. Every member of the Jones family gave Sharon a hug in an effort to try to comfort her.

"There's something I think you should have." Violet finally spoke up. She walked upstairs then quickly came back down, holding Alden's hockey jacket in her hand. 

"He would want you to have this." She said as she handed the jacket over to Sharon.

"Thank you..." Sharon replied in barely a whisper as she took it .

She couldn't believe it. She had always wanted Alden's hockey jacket. She just never imagined she would only get it once he died. She would much rather have Alden alive and with her right now.

When Sharon left the Jones residence, she slipped Alden's jacket on. It still smelled just like him. And every memory she ever had of Alden came flooding back to her. She had so many firsts with him. He was her first major crush. Her first boyfriend. First kiss. First guy she loved and first guy who loved her back. He was even with her when she got her period for the first time on their first date. He mistook the terrible cramps she was having for an appendicitis attack, so he called an ambulance. While Sharon had been totally mortified by it at the time that it happened, it ended up being a situation they both looked back on later and laughed about. It certainly made their first date memorable! Though her first official date was actually with Connor, but she and Connor had mutually decided they were better off as friends.

Hell, as far as first times go, she had just lost her virginity to Alden 2 days ago! How could her first time with him also be their last and only time? She didn't regret sleeping with him at all. If anything, she regretted not having sex with him sooner. If only she had known. She would have given it up to him a long time ago and had more intimate moments to share with him. She was now mad at herself for holding out until the perfect moment. And for what? For her to lose him forever 2 days later? Throughout all these firsts, who would've ever guessed that they were on borrowed time?

By the time she arrived at her own house, she still had tears pouring down her face. How was she gonna explain what had happened to her whole family? A family which had definitely gotten bigger. Helen had married her longtime boyfriend, David, last year. As a result, David and his twin daughters, Sara and Lara, had all moved into the Spitz residence. Since Sharon's older brother, Adam, was away at college, the twins had taken his room. And it was being planned for one of them to take Sharon's room when she goes off to college next year. And of course her younger brother, Josh, was still living there too.

When Sharon walked though the front door, she was all teary eyed and her face was red. She was shaking too. Helen and David were sitting on the living room couch watching tv. When they saw how distressed their daughter was, they immediately got up and ran over to her out of concern.

"Sharon, honey!" Helen exclaimed. "What happened? Are you ok?"

All the young blonde could do was shake her head no in response.

"Did somebody hurt you?" David asked, looking very concerned.

Once again, the teenage girl shook her head no. 

They both led Sharon over to the couch and sat her down. David went to the kitchen and got her a glass of water. She drank it and eventually calmed down enough to explain what happened to her mom and stepdad.

"Oh, sweetie! I'm so sorry!" Helen said as she hugged her daughter. David gave her a hug as well. 

She cried in the living room for a long time. It was almost midnight when Sharon finally fell asleep on the couch. Helen put a blanket over her and kissed her cheek. When she came downstairs at 7 AM and saw that Sharon was still asleep, she decided not to wake her up. She called the school and let them know Sharon would not be in that day. In fact, Helen ended up letting her take the rest of the week off. Sharon hadn't been sleeping well at night and Helen knew she would not be able to focus in school with everything that was on her mind. Connor stopped by everyday to bring Sharon her homework since he lived right across the street. He tried to comfort her, but she wasn't ready to talk about it yet. She would just thank him for getting the assignments to her and let him be on his way.

Alden's funeral was that weekend. Sharon attended wearing the one black dress she owned, a black cardigan sweater, black tights and black ballet flats. She couldn't remember the last time she wore this much black in her life. 

Sharon sat in a row of chairs with Maria, Brock, Carmen, Alyson and Connor. She cried the entire time the pastor was speaking, barely even listening to what he was saying. She already knew everything there was to know about Alden and his life. 

She was so glad to be sitting next to Maria though. Her best friend repeatedly reached over to squeeze her hand, rub her shoulder, and stroke her hair. Even though her boyfriend was gone, Sharon was grateful for the amazing friends she had. Although. she was feeling guilty about all the nasty things she said to Brock when he broke the news. She was just in denial and didn't want to believe Alden really died.

After the service, Sharon was approached by a teenage girl with dark skin and shoulder-length red hair. She looked familiar.

"Sharon?" The girl spoke up.

Sharon immediately knew who it was in that moment. Someone she hadn't seen in almost 2 years. It was Alden's ex-girlfriend, Marlo. She ended up moving to a different school district with her family about a year and a half ago. 

Even before that, she pretty much drifted apart from the entire gang. Sharon tried to stay her friend after she broke up with Alden, but things were just too weird between them after the whole incident where Sharon accidentally came along on the cottage trip because she never got the message that she'd been uninvited. She knew Marlo didn't appreciate the fact that Alden had dedicated a song to Sharon during one of Mangled Metal's gigs either, despite the fact that Sharon helped write it. 

And of course, things became even weirder when Sharon and Alden officially got back together. Marlo was never really able to maintain a friendship with Alden either. So it was only natural that she didn't stay in touch with any of them.

"Marlo?" Sharon responded. The 2 girls hugged.

"I'm so sorry, Sharon!"

"Thank you. I'm sorry too."

"I'm not just sorry about Alden. I'm also sorry for being so cold and distant after I broke up with him and then refusing to keep in touch with you after I moved. I really liked Alden a lot and it was just hard to see the 2 of you together. But I knew he always had feelings for you, which is why I broke up with him. I lied when I said the break up had nothing to do with you. You were a good friend and I just didn't want you to feel bad about us breaking up. But I guess I ended up making you feel bad by cutting you off anyway. If I knew that this would happen to Alden, I would've tried to work through my feelings and stayed his friend like you managed to while him and I were together. I guess I just never realized how short life really is until now."

"Yeah, tell me about it." Sharon sighed. "How did you find out about Alden's death and funeral?"

"Daisy found me on MySpace and messaged me about what happened. She thought I would want to come here. That was really nice of her considering how badly I treated her brother towards the end." Marlo started shedding a few tears.

Sharon gave her a hug. "Shh, it's ok. Don't worry about that. I knew Alden very well. He was extremely forgiving. And I'm sure he forgave you too."

"Thank you, Sharon." Marlo whispered.

"You're welcome." The blonde whispered back.

When the funeral finally ended and Sharon returned home that night, she got ready for bed and wondered how she was gonna live the rest of her life without Alden.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for killing off Alden! I actually felt sad writing this. And I feel so bad for Sharon! But she has another surprise coming her way. That's all I'm gonna say for now. Keep reading to find out more! Chapter 6 coming soon!


	6. Wake Me Up When September Ends

When the Monday after the funeral came, Sharon returned to school. She really didn't feel like going in and just wanted to stay home and stay in bed all day again. But Helen convinced her that it would be best to get back into the swing of things and stop wallowing in her grief. 

She also reminded Sharon that she didn't want to get too far behind in school. After all, it was her senior year. Everything she did from this point on was crucial to her getting accepted into NYU. Of course, Sharon wasn't so sure she wanted to go there anymore. The original plan included her, Alden, Maria and Brock. So what was the plan now? Just her, Maria and Brock? 

Sharon could only imagine how awkward it would be to share an apartment with those 2 lovebirds. She'd be watching tv in the living room with Maria and Brock making out on the couch. She'd try to sleep in her room while the 2 of them were doing it in the next room. All while knowing she'd never be able to do those things with Alden ever again. And she couldn't see herself having another boyfriend by that point. She was too in love with Alden. It would feel like she was cheating on him, even though he's dead. 

Alyson gave Sharon a ride that morning after she had gotten Connor. Alden and Alyson had been the only ones in their group who owned cars. Both of them got cars from their parents on their 16th birthdays. Maria and Connor had the same situation as Sharon, where their parents were making them earn the money to buy their own cars. Brock didn't even have his license. He had failed the driver's test twice. He usually walked to school with Maria in the morning.

The whole car ride to school was pretty silent. Sharon could tell they both wanted to talk to her, but weren't sure what to say. Is this how things were gonna be from now on? Were her friends just always gonna walk on eggshells around her now?

When they got to school and Sharon walked into the building, a huge crowd of students ran up to her. All telling her they were sorry for her loss and giving her hugs. It felt so weird. She was getting hugs from kids she had barely even spoken to. Kids who she thought weren't even aware of her existence. Right when she was about to enter her homeroom, Nina approached her with her posse, Claire and Lanie.

"Great. Just great." She thought. "Like I really want to see her right now."

"Sharon..." Nina said with a sigh. "Listen, I'm really sorry about Alden. Let me know if there's anything I can do for you, ok?"

"Sure..." Sharon replied suspiciously. Was Nina Harper actually being nice to her? She couldn't tell if this was genuine or not. She thought about this as she walked into her homeroom.

Later that week, a memorial service was held for Alden in the school auditorium. A plaque was also put up in the school hallway in the glass case where all the trophies and medals were. It had a picture of Alden and engraved below the picture it said "In Loving Memory of Alden Jones, January 17, 1988-September 4, 2005". He was a star athlete, so it really was no surprise they were honoring him this way.

Sharon struggled to get through the rest of the week. It was like she was there, but she wasn't. She'd go to her classes, but wouldn't pay any attention to what the teachers were saying. She had no idea how she was going to pass this semester. Never mind NYU. She was gonna have to repeat 12th grade at this rate.

She would eat lunch with her usual friends. Maria, Connor, Alyson and Brock. It was so awkward though. Every single one of them was thinking about Alden. They all missed him and wished he was there, eating lunch with them like he should've been. But they knew bringing him up would only upset Sharon more. So they tried to distract her by talking about their classes, what clubs and extracurricular activities they were getting involved in this year and what they would do for their internships when they had to start them later in the year.

Maria was trying to convince Sharon that she should join something to distract herself from Alden. She also brought up the point that colleges wanted to see that she was involved with her school, especially during her senior year. Sure, she was part of the Senior Mentor Program. But was that gonna be enough?

The next week, her birthday came. She had no plans. She couldn't imagine doing anything on her birthday without Alden. Her 14th birthday may have been a disaster due to the fact that she had a misunderstanding and thought she was getting a surprise party when she wasn't. But the 2 birthdays after that made up for it.

For her 15th birthday, Alden did end up surprising Sharon by taking her to the park for a picnic. He had made all the food himself and made sure it was all vegetarian. Of course, Richard decided to throw her an amazing party for her Sweet Sixteen. He had connections with a club owner because his band had played there many times. So he scored a great deal for Sharon's party to be held there. Her Sweet Sixteen turned out to be awesome and her friends were talking about it for weeks at school. She could tell even Nina was upset that she wasn't invited. That felt great!

But her best memory from her 16th birthday was still with Alden. The 2 of them had managed to sneak away from her party for about an hour and made out under a nearby gazebo after Alden had surprised her with a sapphire heart pendant necklace. Her birthstone. She actually considered going all the way with him that night, but still didn't feel ready yet. She had apologized to Alden for making him wait so long, but he told her that wasn't necessary. He understood how she felt and assured her she was worth the wait. She couldn't believe how lucky she was to have a guy like him! And now he was gone forever.

Sharon woke up the morning of her 17th birthday with the same sense of dread she had every morning since Alden's death. It was a little worse than usual that day though. She also had a really weird feeling in her stomach. She couldn't quite explain it.

She didn't bother dressing up. She just wore a solid dark green t-shirt that brought out her bright green eyes, a pair of blue jeans and white sneakers. She wore her hair the same way she always did. Before she went downstairs for breakfast, she walked over to her jewelry box on her dresser and pulled out the necklace Alden gave her. She put it on. Then she grasped the sapphire heart pendent and held onto it for a minute. She was flooded by memories of looking into his soulful blue eyes.

"Oh Alden." She whispered. "How could you leave me like this?"

When she got downstairs for breakfast that morning, she was greeted by her whole family wishing her a happy birthday. She politely thanked them, but kinda wished her birthday wouldn't even be acknowledged today. Something she wasn't expecting to feel until her 30th birthday.

At school, she discovered that her friends had decorated her locker. There was pink paper covering the front of it spelling out "Happy Birthday Sharon!" in silver glitter. The inside of her locker was decorated with purple streamers. Admittedly, this did make her smile. She was then greeted by Maria, Connor, Alyson and Brock all wishing her a happy birthday and giving her birthday hugs. It was nice to know her friends cared.

The moment school ended, Sharon's phone rang. She looked at the caller ID and saw that it was her stepbrother, Griffin. His mom, Lauren, had married Sharon's father, Richard, over the summer. She answered it.

"Hey Griffin."

"Happy Birthday, sis!"

"Thank you."

"So, I was thinking. You know how Lauren and Richard are away on their belated honeymoon this week? And they've left me to apartment-sit while they're gone?"

Griffin was a year older than Sharon, so he graduated high school last year. He was taking a semester off from college to travel and work on his music. But he was back in Elkford for the week to take care of Richard and Lauren's apartment while they were gone. After all, he didn't want to turn down easy money.

"I still can't believe they trusted you enough to leave you alone there for a whole week. Especially since my mom told them about what happened last time my brothers and I were left alone."

"Well, I'm 18 now. That makes me an adult. Besides, I never got busted for throwing a wild house party like you did."

"No, you just got kicked out of boarding school and talked me into smoking." She started laughing and realized it had been a long time since she did that.

"Haha, very funny." Griffin responded dryly, but was actually smiling. He had to admit, it was good to hear his stepsister joking around again. "Anyway, why don't you come over and keep me company for a bit? Since it's your birthday, we can watch any chick flick you want. Just tell me what you want to see and I'll go out and get the DVD if we don't already have it here. I'll pick up some cupcakes and veggie burgers for you too."

"I don't know. I kind of just wanted to spend my birthday by myself. I have a ton of homework to catch up on and I'm afraid of falling behind. Why don't you invite Nina over instead?"

There was dead silence for at least a minute. Then Sharon remembered.

"Oh, Griffin. I'm sorry. I forgot you guys broke up. You still never told me why, by the way."

"Yeah, I don't really feel like sharing those details. I know the 2 of you had your differences, but I really loved her."

"I know."

Sharon felt really bad for bringing Nina up. She had totally forgotten how they had broken up shortly after Richard and Lauren's wedding. At first, Sharon assumed it had to do with Nina being unhappy about him postponing college. But he insisted that wasn't it. He didn't want to talk about the real reason. Sharon thought she'd be happy about their breakup because it meant Nina would no longer be hanging around her family. But she hated seeing her stepbrother so miserable. She couldn't help but remember how her grandmother would always tell her to watch out what you wish for.

"Maybe he needs my company more than I need his." She thought.

"Can we watch Clueless?" She asked, with a smile on her face. It was her all-time favorite movie. She had so many memories of watching it with Alden dozens of times while the 2 of them cuddled up together on her living room couch. She actually got him into it, even though it was a chick flick. He always talked about how the actress, Alicia Silverstone, reminded him of her. She still wasn't sure why...

"Whatever you want, Birthday Girl." Griffin replied. "So meet me here in about an hour?"

"Ok, see you then." She said as she ended the call and shoved her phone back into her jeans pocket.

An hour later, Sharon had arrived at Richard and Lauren's apartment. The first thing she saw was all the lights turned off.

"Griffin..." She said with a sigh, as she reached for the switch to turn them on. "While I'm sure dad and Lauren will appreciate you helping them save money on the electric bills and I appreciate you saving electricity to help out the environment, I'm not sure that walking around in the dark..."

"Surprise!" She jumped back as she heard a whole chorus of people shout this out once the lights flipped on. Right away, she noticed Maria, Brock, Connor, Alyson, Carmen, Tracy, as well as some other kids at school she was friends with. Some older kids who had already graduated were there too, as Sharon had managed to keep in touch with most of her friends from her Freshman year. She couldn't believe her stepbrother had set this whole thing up for her! She almost felt like crying.

"Happy Birthday, Sharon!" Griffin said, as he swung an arm around her shoulder. "Were you surprised?"

"I have to say, I honestly was." She replied, with her hand still over her pounding heart.

"Awesome!" He said with a smile. "Listen, I know how much you would have wanted Adam and Dion to be here. I contacted them both. But unfortunately, they couldn't come back home for your birthday. Adam has a college wrestling tournament tonight that he just can't miss and Dion is busy helping the magazine he's interning with meet a strict deadline for tomorrow. But you'll see them both soon. Adam's gonna come home for Christmas break and Dion's actually gonna be back for a few days during the American Thanksgiving break since his school is in New York. I think that's coming up..."

"It's in late November." Sharon informed him. "And don't worry. You've already done so much and I appreciate it all! I think it's the nicest thing you've ever done for me. You really didn't have to, you know."

Griffin shrugged. "Well, I know you've been having a rough time lately. How you've been depressed since Alden's death earlier this month. And I knew not having him around on your birthday was only gonna make it harder. So I wanted to do something nice for you. I figured being surrounded by friends would help cheer you up a bit. So I tried to contact as many of them as I could."

"Aren't you worried about getting in trouble with my dad and Lauren though? I mean they did trust you to watch this apartment. And you remember what happened with the party I threw..."

Griffin grinned. "You're worth the risk. Besides, this is for a good cause. The whole point of it is to get you out of your funk. So they'd have to cut me some slack for that, right?"

Sharon shrugged. "I guess." She gave her stepbrother a hug. "Thank you for this, Griffin! I'm really glad you're part of our family now."

"Ditto, little sis. And you're welcome."

Sharon walked around the apartment to greet all of her guests. Josh was the first one she found. She gave her little brother a hug. He was now 13 and almost as tall as she was. She couldn't believe it! Her baby brother was now the same age she was when she and Alden first got together.

"Happy Birthday, Sharon!" He exclaimed.

"Thanks Josh."

"And don't worry. I won't breathe a word about this to mom, dad, Lauren or David."

"I trust you."

"It's just so cool to be at a party with high school kids! Especially high school girls..."

Sharon then noticed Josh eying a classmate of hers named Jessica. Jessica was a pretty girl with long strawberry blonde hair, green eyes and freckles. She was the only cheerleader Sharon was friends with. While Sharon wasn't as close to her as she was with her main crew, the girls did get along well. Jessica moved to Elkford at the beginning of 10th grade and immediately felt sorry for Sharon when she saw the way Nina treated her. So she befriended Sharon as a way of apologizing for her. Nina threatened to have Jessica kicked off the cheerleading squad for hanging out with "losers like Braceface", but realized that would have been a stupid move due to how talented Jessica was. So she kept her on the team, all while bitching at her over her friendship with Sharon. But she knew how to put Nina in her place. It was nice to see someone stand up to her for once.

"Jessica Brady? Josh, she's 17!"

"So? Age doesn't mean anything when it comes to love! Besides, I'm sure I can sway her when she hears the way I play piano!"

"How about her." Sharon said as she pointed to Tracy. "Her name is Tracy and I'm actually mentoring her this year. She's only 1 year older than you, so it's not a big difference. She's really nice and she plays violin. You play the piano! And she likes classical music. So you already have some things in common with her."

"Eh, I don't know. She's cute, but she's not really my type. I need more of a challenge."

Josh then walked away from Sharon and over to Jessica to introduce himself. Sharon laughed and shook her head. Looks like his teenage hormones had kicked in. She couldn't help but think he was like a male version of herself at that age. He seemed to have a thing for older girls, while she used to have a thing for older boys (other than Alden, of course). She should've seen this coming when he got his first crush on Alyson 3 years ago. Thankfully, he's accepted her relationship with Connor since then.

Speaking of older boys Sharon used to have a crush on, Tony Sporali was actually at the party. Sharon was surprised he was there when Adam wasn't. He was more his friend than hers. Then again, he had a huge appetite just like Adam did. So he probably came just for the food. Adam's longtime girlfriend, Hannah Corbett, was also there. But that was really no surprise since she and Sharon had always been pretty close.

Griffin walked over to Sharon as she was chatting with Maria about school. He had a can of beer in his hand. He held it out to her.

"Since this is a pretty calm group, I thought it would be ok to have some booze at this party. I don't expect anyone here to get too wild and trash the place. And I'll have plenty of time to clean up later. Would you like a beer?"

"No thanks. I'm good."

"I'll take it then." Maria said as she held out her hand towards Griffin. He handed it to her.

This was quite a change from how things were 4 years ago. When Sharon got drunk while she was at a concert for her dad's band and Maria was the sensible one trying to stop her. But Sharon had a better idea of what her limit was now. While she wouldn't normally mind kicking back with a single beer, she instinctively felt like she shouldn't be drinking right now, for some reason. Plus, her stomach was starting to feel a little off. She didn't want to risk upsetting it further.

Sharon continued to mingle with her party guests. She still couldn't believe how many people showed up for this. She was definitely grateful. This was exactly the kind of surprise party she was expecting to get on her 14th birthday. Only, she expected Alden to be part of it. Just like he should've been now. She was starting to feel sad again.

She knew she wasn't enjoying her surprise party as much as she should've been. Besides Alden, there was something else she was supposed to have that she didn't at the moment. Her period.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And the plot thickens! For those of you who are fans of Dion and Adam (I am too), don't worry. They'll be back to give our girl all the support she needs in this story! I'm just waiting for the right time to reintroduce them. Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Feel free to comment and let me know what you think of how this fic is progressing so far. I'm interested in all feedback, good or bad.


	7. Hanging By A Moment

Sharon's alarm clock went off at 7 AM, just like it did every morning she had school. She hated the sound of it more and more each day. She wished she would never hear it again. Of course, it didn't help that she was feeling sick to her stomach right now. In fact, that's how she had felt every morning for the past month. It often included vomiting as well. At first, she thought it was a stomach virus. This earned her another week off from school. But when her symptoms didn't go away after that period of time, she figured it was just due to all the stress she had been under. Probably a combination of losing Alden and senior-itis. Her mom always did tell her that stress could take a physical toll on your body. That might explain why she still hadn't seen any sign of her period as well.

Unless... she looked at herself in her vanity mirror and placed a hand over her stomach. It was something that occurred to her before, but she kept dismissing it. Could she possibly be...?

"No!" She stopped herself from even finishing that thought. "There's no way that kind of thing could happen to me when Alden isn't even around to help me out. I mean, haven't I been through enough with the 2 years of torture my braces brought me? Not to mention all the crap Nina's put me through over the years. I think I've been punished enough for the next 30 lifetimes. There's no way the universe could hate me that much!"

She continued getting ready, then got dressed. She put on a pair of jeans and noticed just how snug they were on her.

"Of course I gained weight with all the stress-eating I've been doing. Maybe I should go on a diet..."

But then she thought better of that plan. She remembered what happened the last time she tried dieting. It was her Freshmen year, back when Dion was a senior at Elkford High. Sharon was Dion's model for the school fashion show. Nina was in the fashion show too, but was jealous that Sharon got to wear a nicer outfit than her. As a result, she made a comment which made Sharon super insecure about her weight. Plus, Sharon was also busy trying to impress Daryl Donaldson, who turned out to be a jerk anyway. So she ended up going on a crash diet which resulted in her fainting on the runway while modeling Dion's fabulous dress. Yet another humiliating event on her record. She knew Alden would never want her to hurt herself like that again.

Her jeans weren't nearly as snug as her bra was, though.

"Guess they must still be growing." She thought. "Definitely not a bad thing!"

When she tried adjusting her bra to make it more comfortable, she touched one of her breasts. It was so tender, she cringed. She then felt the other one, which was just as sore. Growing pains, maybe? She shrugged it off and continued getting dressed. She slipped a white cap-sleeved baby-doll top with pink polka dots on and wore pink sneakers to match it. Her hair was in its usual current style.

Right as Sharon was about to go downstairs for breakfast, the nauseous feeling in her stomach rose up to her throat. Oh no! It was happening again! She ran into the bathroom and threw up. When she finished and flushed the toilet, she heard a knock on the door.

"Sharon, honey?" She heard Helen's voice ring out. "Are you throwing up again?"

"I'm fine, mom." Sharon said as she exited the bathroom.

Helen pushed Sharon's bangs back and felt her forehead, then her cheek.

"You're very pale and sweaty. Maybe you should stay home from school today?"

"No!" The blonde teenager protested. "I already missed enough school this semester and I'm starting to fall behind. Aren't you the one who told me this year was the most important one to colleges? Besides, it's Friday. I'll have the entire weekend to rest."

"I just don't want you to push yourself too much. Your health is important too."

"I'm sure it's just senior-itis. Plus, all the other trauma in my life I've had to deal with recently. You're the one who always talks about the physical effects stress can have on your body."

"All the more reason you shouldn't push yourself too hard." Helen sighed. "All right, go to school if you feel you're up to it. But promise me you'll see the school nurse of you start to feel really sick?"

"Ok, I will."

Sharon had some plain toasted bread in an attempt to settle her stomach. Though she really felt like she could go for a pineapple pizza right now. And some french fries dipped in mayonnaise. A veggie dog with ketchup and mustard sounded great right now too. She wasn't sure why she was craving all these foods during breakfast.

When it was time for lunch at school, Sharon grabbed pretty much any food that didn't contain meat and put it on her tray. She joined Maria, Connor and Alyson at their table.

Connor took a look at Sharon's tray and raised an eyebrow. "I guess your stomach is finally feeling better?"

"Yeah, I'm starving! Everything just looked super appealing to me, so I grabbed it all." She replied as she happily dipped a fry in mayo and ketchup together and stuffed it into her mouth. "I'm mostly just feeling nauseous in the morning. I think I'm just dreading all the work I have to do for school. Plus, it's still sad to not see Alden here everyday."

"It's not just the mornings though." Maria commented. "When Alyson and I slept over at your house last weekend, you spent half the night in the bathroom praying to the porcelain God."

Sharon shrugged. "You were both giving yourselves pedicures at the same time. The fumes from the acetone were bothering me."

"But you give yourself manicures and pedicures all the time." Alyson pointed out. "It's never been an issue before. And what was up with you running to the bathroom when the popcorn was ready?"

"Again, the smell was getting to me."

"Sharon Spitz bothered by the smell of popcorn?" Connor questioned. "Sharon, that's your favorite food. The one thing you refuse to share? Since when was the smell ever a problem for you?"

"Since now, I guess." She replied with a sigh. "I think I'm just going through a growth spurt like Adam did at my age. I am still growing in certain areas." She didn't want to outright mention her boobs since Connor was there."My appetite is changing just like his did."

"You also cried for about an hour after we watched A Walk To Remember." Maria said.

"Is that really anything new for me? I've always been sensitive like that. Besides, it's a really sad movie. And it made me think of Alden."

Sharon was starting to get annoyed by all the questions her friends were firing at her. She felt like she was being interrogated. She was almost finished eating anyway, so she came up with an excuse to leave.

"Listen, I should get to study hall before my next class starts. I really need to catch up on some schoolwork. I'll see you guys later." She picked up her tray and left. Connor followed suit.

"I should get going as well. Gibson wanted to meet up with me briefly to discuss a project we're working on for the science club."

When Connor left, Alyson and Maria were alone. As they finished their meals, Alyson decided to say what's been on her mind.

"So Maria, I'm really worried about Sharon. It's not just this stomach thing she has. But do you see the way she's eating now? When has she ever eaten that much? She's not Adam. She's a tiny girl. And she's been more weepy than usual. Do you think she might be..."

Maria's eyes widened as she let out a gasp. She knew exactly what Alyson was getting at.

"I don't know. I mean, I guess it's possible. She did sleep with Alden right before he died."

"Well, I hope for her sake she isn't. Poor Sharon has enough going on in her life. This would just make everything 10 times worse."

"Agreed. Let's pray she's not."

The 4 friends had chemistry later that day. Alyson and Maria were partners, while Sharon was Connor's partner. But it was really difficult for Sharon to be in that class right now. All the chemical smells were getting to her. She was feeling sick to her stomach again. Maybe it was a bad idea to eat as much as she did for lunch. Suddenly, she could feel all that food rising to her throat...

She raised her hand frantically. "Mr. Melamed? Can I please be excused?"

Mr. Melamed sighed. "Let me guess, Ms. Spitz. Is it your stomach again?"

She nodded.

"You know, Ms. Spitz, you really shouldn't come to school if you're sick. Think of the other students here. Not to mention your TEACHERS. Do you think we can afford to catch..."

"Please!" Sharon begged, interrupting him. "I might blow chunks right here..."

"Go ahead." He said as he gestured towards the door and sighed. He certainly didn't want that kind of mess in his classroom!

Sharon ran out of the room with her hand over her mouth. Connor looked confused. Maria and Alyson shot each other concerned glances. They knew they needed to talk to their friend now.

Maria raised her hand. "Mr. Melamed? I had a jumbo soda for lunch and now I really have to pee!"

Alyson also raised her hand. "Me too!"

Mr. Melamed sighed for the third time. "Go right ahead, ladies. And you might want to check on your friend while you're in there. Make sure she's ok."

"Thank you!" Both girls cried out simultaneously as they ran out of the classroom.

"I can't wait until retirement..."

When Alyson and Maria got to the girl's bathroom, they could hear just how sick Sharon was.

"You ok, Sharon?" Alyson asked, as she approached the closed door of the stall.

"If losing everything I had for lunch to the toilet qualifies as ok, then yep. I'm great."

"I'll take that as a no." Maria responded.

When Sharon flushed the toilet and emerged from the stall, she took a look at herself in the mirror. Her damp blonde bangs were plastered to her forehead. And she was so sweaty, her makeup was running down her face.

"God, I look like hell. Though that's nothing compared to how I feel."

"Look, Sharon..." Maria started out. "Alyson and I were talking earlier. Do you think you could be pregnant?"

The young blonde looked down. "I don't know. But... I'm late..."

"How late exactly?"

"Well, I was supposed to have my period the week of my birthday. That was back in September. Now it's almost November. Considering the date from that night in the cottage, well, the math adds up..."

"There could be several other reasons why you're late though." Alyson chimed in. "Stress is a big factor."

"She's right." Maria agreed. "If anyone is under a lot of stress right now, it's you. I mean, I know you're still grieving for Alden. Plus, we're all seniors now. We have more school work, we have to apply for colleges, we have to think about our internships. Not to mention mid-terms are coming up. Even I'm feeling stressed."

"Yeah." Sharon said, sighing in relief. "That's what I was thinking."

"Besides" Alyson added. "You're very responsible and so was Alden. So I'm sure you guys used protection, right?"

Sharon looked away, too ashamed to make eye contact with either of her friends. That told them all they needed to know.

"Oh my God..."

"Sharon!" Maria exclaimed. "How could you be so stupid?"

"I don't know!" She shouted as tears began falling from her eyes. "We were just so caught up in the moment. In the whole evening, really. It was all so perfect. So romantic. We were a little bit tipsy from drinking wine too. And when I realized we had unsafe sex, I was a little worried this could happen. But then Alden told me he would be there for me and the baby if it did. He said he'd take care of me. He even offered to marry me. I never, in a million years, thought he wouldn't be around to keep his promise. I never thought he would die the night after we had our first time together." Sharon started sobbing hard.

Maria and Alyson both hugged her. 

"Shh, it's ok." Maria whispered as she stroked Sharon's golden hair. "I'm sorry I came down so hard on you just now. It's not entirely your fault. Alden should have been more careful too. And if he were alive, I'd yell at him for not wrapping it up. But you do need to find out for sure if you are."

"I'll tell you what." Alyson offered. "There's a women's clinic I go to for my birth control pills. They could do a blood test to see if you're pregnant. And they should be able to give you your results the same day. I can drive you there after school."

"Really? You'd do that for me?"

"Of course. Oh, I do have to drive Connor to his archery lesson. But I'll take you to the clinic right from there. And don't worry, Connor doesn't have to know. We can keep it between us girls.

"I'll go with you guys." Maria offered. "Oh, wait. I have volleyball practice after school. Coach won't like it if I miss because we have that tournament next week." Then the raven-haired girl shook her head. "You know what? This is more important! I'll come up with an excuse to ditch practice."

"No!" The blonde beauty insisted. "Just because my life is probably over, doesn't mean yours should be too. Go to practice."

"First of all, don't say that. You might not even be pregnant. Second of all, are you sure?"

"Positive. I'll only feel worse if you miss an important practice for me. Besides, I'll have Alyson there for support. So I'll be fine."

"Call me as soon as you find out the results."

"Ok."

After school let out, Sharon waited by Alyson's car. She had on a denim jacket similar to the one she wore in 9th grade, but a little longer. Connor and Alyson both approached her.

"Hey Sharon." Connor greeted her. "What are you doing here?"

"Sharon has a doctor's appointment I'm taking her to after I drop you off."

"Is everything ok, Sharon?" Connor asked, sounding concerned.

"She's just going for a check-up. Right, Sharon?"

"Yeah..."

Great, now Alyson was lying to Connor for her! She felt terrible about this.

She climbed into the backseat while Connor got in on the passenger's side. Alyson's started to get into the driver's seat, but stopped.

"Crap! I think I left my history book in my locker. I need it for a test I have on Monday. Sorry guys. I'll be right back."

The brunette teenager slammed the door and ran back into the high school building, leaving Sharon and Connor alone in her car.

"So, Sharon..." Connor started out. "How have you been holding up?"

"About as well as can be expected, I guess."

"I miss Alden too, you know."

"I think we all do. He was a great friend to us all and such a staple to our group throughout high school. It's not fair that he doesn't get to be here for our Senior year with us. He worked so hard in school. He deserved to graduate."

"Well, I just wanted to let you know I'm here if you need to talk. You can call me up anytime. And since we live right across the street from each other, you can come over and knock on my door too. I know we don't talk or hang out as much as we used to. For the last couple of years, I've always been busy with Alyson and you were always busy with Alden. I know it might feel like we're drifting apart sometimes. But I won't let that happen. I still care about you. I always will."

Sharon sniffled and started to cry. "You know how Alden and I were away at his cottage for our anniversary the night before he died?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I lost my virginity to him that night."

"Oh, wow. Sharon, I'm sorry. I'm sure losing Alden was so much harder after sharing that kind of experience with him." Connor put his hand behind his head. He looked uncomfortable. "Look, Sharon. Maybe you should talk to Maria or Alyson about this? I know I said you can talk to me if you need to. And I meant it. But this just sounds like something you should be talking to another girl about. You and Alyson will have a chance to talk after she drops me..."

"Connor, I think I'm pregnant."

"Oh." Then his eyes widened in horror. "Oh no..."

Sharon was crying hard now. Connor got out of the passenger's side and slid into the backseat with Sharon so he could comfort her. He gave her a hug.

"What makes you so sure that you are?"

"Well, you saw how much I ate for lunch today. And how I ran out of the chemistry lab puking before. I felt sick because I couldn't stand all those smells. Even the smell of popcorn makes me sick now! And of course this "stomach bug" has lasted way longer than it should. I'm more than a little late..." She looked at Connor's face and hoped he understood what she meant. He did. "Oh, and I know I've always been emotional, but I've been such a basket case lately. Like last night, I caught a rerun of the Friends series finale. And I cried like crazy over it! Even though I've been fine watching it in the past. I better avoid any episode of Dawson's Creek while I'm feeling like this..."

Connor didn't say anything. Just hugged Sharon and let her continue to cry.

"Anyway, that's the real reason Alyson is taking me to the doctor. Not for a checkup. She was just covering for me. You guys have never kept secrets from each other before and I don't want to be the reason you start now. I mean, you didn't even keep the camp out story about me wetting my sleeping bag a secret from her. I can't believe I almost threw out our whole friendship over that! When you were actually the one who had a better reason to be mad at me after the "rubber cockroach in the shower" prank I pulled on you. God, I was such a bitch!" She started hyperventilating.

"Shh, don't even think about that right now. Did you and Alden..." She knew what Connor wanted to ask, but could tell he was uncomfortable.

"No, we didn't use anything. Go ahead, lecture me about how stupid and irresponsible I was."

"I'm not gonna lecture you, Sharon. That's clearly not what you need right now."

Just then, Alyson came back. She was confused to see Connor and Sharon both sitting in the back, when Connor always sat up front with her.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"I told him the truth about why you're driving me to the doctor. I just don't want you to have to keep a secret from Connor for my sake. And he's been my best guy friend since we were babies. So I'm ok with him knowing about this."

Alyson gave an understanding nod. "Well, I'm ready to go now. So Connor, let's get you to your archery lesson before you're late."

"No." Connor stated. "I'm gonna skip that today. I'm going with you and Sharon."

"No, Connor." Sharon responded. "Please don't do that. I already told Maria not to miss volleyball practice for this. I don't want you changing your plans for me either."

"It's ok. I can afford to miss one class. You know I'm just doing it for fun. You're like a sister to me, Sharon. And you've always been there for me. You were right by my side the entire time when I got my acupuncture injections. You kept me company in the waiting room several times when I've visited my allergist. So please, just let me be here for you this time."

Sharon nodded her head and sniffled. Despite everything she had been through in her life, she knew she was blessed to have such incredible friends, She couldn't believe she once considered Alyson to be the enemy.

After filling out what felt like a million forms, Sharon was taken into the back to see one of the clinic doctors. This left Connor and Alyson alone in the waiting room. It was pretty boring, so the 2 of them held hands and started making out. They stopped when an older woman who was sitting right next to them cleared her throat.

"Maybe we should cool it before everyone thinks I'm the one who's here for a pregnancy test." Alyson suggested.

"Well, if you were, I'd be right here by your side too. And support you no matter what. You know that, right?"

"I do." She said with a smile. "I just can't believe this is happening to Sharon. Out of all people."

"I know. It feels so bizarre to be waiting to find out if one of my best friends is having a baby at age 17."

"Do you think she'll keep the baby if she is?"

"I don't know. I think there's a good chance. It would be her last connection to Alden. I think that's gonna play a big role in her decision."

"I feel really bad for Sharon. Alden is the one who should be here in the waiting room, instead of us. And I know he would have if he were alive. But he's not even around for her to talk to. I can't imagine how she must be feeling right now."

After a while, the teenage couple started looking through the magazines spread throughout the waiting room. They mostly just gave each other quizzes to pass the time. When Sharon came back out to them, they could see just how distressed she was.

"So what did the doctor say?" Alyson asked.

Sharon shrugged. "It'll be about an hour before they can tell me my results. I don't know what I'm gonna do if it's positive..."

Connor and Alyson looked at each other. They both knew the perfect way to distract her.

"So Sharon" Connor said. "Alyson and I were about to take this "How much do you know about Friends?" quiz we found in this magazine. I know how much you love Friends, so I think this would be perfect for you."

"Ok." She gave a small smile, knowing she definitely needed to take her mind off of whether she was pregnant or not.

Sharon ended up getting a perfect score of 100%. It was no surprise considering that she had seen every episode several times. She and Alden used to watch it together when they just felt like simply hanging out and watching tv. She missed that so much.

After the 3 friends spent some time taking a few mindless personality quizzes, the doctor who did the blood test on Sharon came out and approached her. She was a woman in her mid-40s with glasses and platinum blonde hair pulled back in a bun. She was carrying a clipboard.

"Sharon Spitz?" She called out.

"Yes?" Sharon replied.

"We have your results. Why don't you come back into my office so I can go over them with you in private?"

Sharon looked at Connor and Alyson and shook her head. "These are my friends. Anything you have to tell me can be said in front of them."

"Are you sure?"

Sharon nodded. "I am."

"Very well." The doctor said. She looked down at the paper on the clipboard.

Connor grabbed Sharon's right hand, while Alyson took her left hand. They all knew this moment could change her life forever...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaand... here we go with another cliffhanger! Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Stay tuned to find out if Sharon is pregnant with Alden's child!


	8. Say It Ain't So

"Well, Sharon." The doctor started out. "The test came back positive. You are pregnant."

Sharon swallowed as she felt a huge lump in her throat. She wasn't that surprised by the news, but she had been holding out hope for the test to be negative. Now her worst fear was confirmed.

"I'm only 17..."

"I know. And I'm sorry, sweetie. I know it's hard at your age. You do have options though." She handed Sharon 5 different pamphlets. "You should take these home and look them over."

Sharon reached out and took the pamphlets. She had no interest in reading them, but wanted to be polite.

"Thank you." She said softly.

"Tell you what." Connor said, once the doctor left. "My parents are gonna be out for a while. Why don't we go over to my place and play cards? I know we normally only do that on rainy days, but why not break the rules just this once?"

"Oh, no. I don't want to get in the way of you guys having some, you know, alone time. I'm sure you would rather play one-on-one strip poker with each other than Gin with a pregnant teenage loser like me."

"You're not a loser, Sharon." Alyson comforted her.

"Wait, you told her about our strip poker games?" Connor asked, as he shot Alyson a surprised look.

Alyson shrugged. "We're girls. Girls talk about the intimate things they do with their boyfriends. Hasn't Friends taught you anything? Besides, the 3 of us have been good friends for a long time. So I don't think we have to hide these kinds of things from each other."

"She's right." Sharon agreed. "You have nothing to be ashamed of. I just wish Alden was around for me to try playing strip poker with. Now we'll never have that chance. I can't believe I'm carrying his baby and I can't even tell him about it." She said as she put a hand over her stomach. "I'm gonna have to go through this all alone..." She finally let go of all the tears she had been holding back and broke down crying.

"No." Connor disagreed. "You're not alone in this. You have me and you have Alyson. We're both here for you and we're not going anywhere."

"He's right." Alyson nodded her head in agreement. "You have us and you have Maria and Brock too. I'm sure you can even talk to Dion about this when he comes to visit. We love you, Sharon. We're all here to support you, no matter what."

"Thank you." Sharon said between sobs. "I love you guys too."

"And don't worry." Alyson reassured her. "Connor and I will have plenty of chances to be alone together. But you need your friends right now. That's what's important. We want to help you."

When they got back to Alyson's car, Connor sat in the back with Sharon once again. They stopped at a local food store to pick up some snacks for their game of cards. When they got inside, Connor and Alyson headed off in different directions to find snacks.

Sharon immediately headed for the baby food aisle. She noticed all the strained foods. Strained peas, strained carrots, strained bananas. "What does strained even mean?" She wondered to herself.

She then noticed all the different baby formulas and bottles. "But isn't breast milk supposed to be healthier?" She thought. It's what she had always heard. Or was she actually better off giving her baby formula instead of breastfeeding? She was so confused!

"How am I ever going to handle motherhood when I don't even know what to feed a baby?" She frantically asked herself. Then she found herself remembering the "Baby Think About It" project she did back in 9th grade. The one that was supposed to show students that teenagers aren't ready for the responsibility of parenthood.

At first, Sharon thought it would be no problem for her. After all, she took great care of her pets and had an excellent mother herself. But when her simulated baby kept her up all night with all the crying she did and Sharon also had to try to juggle looking after her while volunteering at the animal clinic and going to school and keeping up with homework from all her other classes, she knew she wouldn't be ready to be a mom for a long time. So how exactly did she find herself in this predicament now?

But she knew exactly how. It was all because of that one amazing night up in Alden's cottage. The last night she'd ever spend with him. The only time she'd ever had sex. Of course she'd get pregnant her first time. Luck was never on her side before. Why should she expect things to be any different now? And to make matters worse, Alden was gone. She'd never have the chance to tell him he's a father. He wasn't around to help her figure out what to feed their baby. And even though her friends were there to support her, they weren't going to deal with telling their families about this.

That was another thought Sharon had racing through her brain. Not only would she have to break this to her own family, but Alden's too. He wasn't even around to share this burden with her. How were Alden's parents gonna handle knowing their son made such a big mistake? How would his sisters take it? She didn't want to ruin anyone's memories of Alden! And Sharon didn't even want to think about how her family would react. Her mom was gonna freak out! She was sure no one else would be too happy either. She knew how much of a disappointment she was gonna be to them all. And what exactly did this mean for her future and the rest of high school?

She started to feel dizzy from the anxiety all these thoughts were giving her. She sat down on the floor and did some breathing techniques she learned from the yoga classes she took a few years ago. The "yoga breaths" she would encourage her family and friends to do when they needed to calm down. She then noticed some of the tiny sippy cups and baby spoons stocked on the bottom shelf. Then she saw some baby bibs.

"These are actually pretty cute." She thought, as she focused her attention on a Lion King bib with the younger Simba. It had the word Hakuna written above him and Matata below him. This helped her shake the dizziness she was feeling before.

"There you are!" Alyson exclaimed, as she approached the baby food aisle with Connor.

"Had a feeling you'd be here." Connor said, as he extended a hand to help Sharon up. "What were you doing on the floor though?"

"Yoga breaths"

"Gotcha."

When the 3 of them left the store, Alyson handed Sharon a box as they walked back to her car.

"I got you some crackers." She told her. "My cousin swore by these when she was pregnant. She said it really helped with the morning sickness."

Then Connor handed her a bottle. "And I picked up some Ginger Ale for you. It always helps me when my stomach is unsettled. And it's caffeine-free, so it should be safe for your unborn baby."

"Thanks guys. I could use all the help I can get for my stomach."

When they arrived at Connor's house, Sharon noticed Maria standing across the street at her own. She ran up to her with Connor and Alyson.

"Maria?" She asked, sounding confused. "I thought you had volleyball practice?"

"Coach let us out early. I noticed there were no messages from you on my phone and I was worried. So I decided to see if you were home since I have to pass you going to my house anyway."

"I'm sorry I forgot to call you. I have a lot on my mind."

"I forgive you. So, are you..."

"I am." She responded, trying hard not to cry.

"No..."

"It's true." Connor confirmed. "Alyson and I were there when the doctor told her."

"Oh my God! Sharon, I'm so sorry."

All Sharon could do was nod her head. She could feel all the anxiety she had at the food store coming back.

"Maria, we were all going over to my house to play cards. I know it's not raining, but I figured "What the hell?". Why don't you come join us?" He said, inviting her.

"Ok." She said with a smile, as she followed them over to Connor's house.

They sat down at their usual card-playing table. Sharon was chowing down on her crackers and downing the Ginger Ale to ward off the morning sickness. Even though it was actually late in the afternoon. She had to wonder why it was called morning sickness when it seemed to occur at random times of the day.

Connor had put some chocolate chip cookies on a plate and placed it in the middle of the table. He knew not to get popcorn, since Sharon was currently having an aversion to it.

They all started playing Gin, but Sharon's head wasn't in the game.

"How am I gonna tell my mom?" She asked her friends. "She's gonna kill me!"

"I think you're just gonna have to find a way." Maria replied.

"I feel the sooner the better applies here. Like ripping off a band-aid." Connor chimed in.

"And how am I gonna go to college next year? I was gonna have to get a job just to support myself! I'll have to work twice as hard with a child to care for. And I guess NYU is out. I mean, at least I have family to help out around here. It's not like I'll be able to afford daycare in New York. Dion says it's expensive just to support yourself over there."

"Brock and I can help out with babysitting." Maria offered.

"You guys are gonna be busy with classes too though. Oh, and how am I ever gonna become a vet? It takes years of schooling and I'm gonna need a career established a lot sooner with a kid to support. I don't know. I just don't think I'm ready for this."

"You do have options, you know." Alyson suggested.

"You sound just like the doctor at the clinic." Sharon responded with a sigh. She pulled the pamphlets out of her backpack. "I'm supposed to read all of these. But I don't want to. I don't want to think about any of this. I don't want to be in a position where I have to make these kinds of decisions."

"I think it's a little late for that." Maria stated. They all shot her looks. "Sorry."

"I can't believe this. I graduated junior high with braces. I started high school with braces and rubber bands. I'm gonna be graduating high school with my stomach swelled up like a balloon. And I'm probably gonna be starting college covered in baby vomit." She then scoffed. "Nina is gonna love this!"

"I don't know." Connor replied. "She's been pretty nice to you lately. Maybe she's actually maturing."

"Or she just doesn't want to be seen being mean to the girl who's boyfriend just died." Alyson disputed. "I wouldn't count on it lasting."

"Do you guys think I could actually be good at this whole motherhood thing?"

They all glanced at each other.

"Well, you were great with my cousin Ethan. He stopped crying the moment you held him. It took me forever to get him to stop on my own." Connor replied.

"Yeah, and you got an A on the parenthood project we did during Freshman year. Remember?"

"I also remember not being able to watch your baby and mine during your basketball game. They both ended up crying and distracting you and it cost you the game. Oh, and I let my baby prevent me from watching Pigger at the park. That's how he got a hold of chocolate and almost died."

"That was different." Maria responded. "You'll have more help than you were allowed to have on that project."

"Not really. Without Alden here, I'm going to be a single mom. It's just not the way I ever imagined starting a family."

As the evening winded down, Maria and Alyson both went home. Sharon decided to stay and help Connor clean up. As she was about to leave, Connor put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Hey." He said to her. "Come over any time you want to talk, ok? And let me know if there's anything you need."

"Ok, I will." She smiled. "Thanks Connor."

"Anytime."

Sharon walked across the street to her own house. She ran right up to her room and flopped down on her bed. She noticed all 5 of her pets followed her there and were surrounding her on her bed. They must've sensed how upset she was. She thought about going up on the roof with her pets. This is what she usually did when she was feeling overwhelmed and needed to think. However, she realized it probably wasn't the best idea to be sitting up on a roof while pregnant. So she just stayed laying on her bed. She rubbed the band-aid on her right arm where the doctor had taken her blood.

She took the pamphlets from the clinic out of her backpack and briefly skimmed them. Then she tossed them all up in the air out of frustration. How was she supposed to decide what to do without talking to Alden? If he were alive, she would be discussing her options with him right now. She wondered if he would've proposed to her. It was a nice thought. Sure, she was still in high school. But if she was going to have a baby, it might've been nice to be married to the father. This way, her baby wouldn't be born out of wedlock. But this wasn't even a possibility for her now.

Sharon pet all of her cats and dogs and cried once again.

"You guys will never believe the mess I got myself into this time. And I don't know what I'm gonna do..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aw, poor Sharon. Being pregnant at 17 is hard enough. But now she doesn't even have Alden around for support. Keep reading to find out what she'll do!


	9. Listen To Your Heart

The next day was a Saturday. Helen didn't need the car, so she gave Sharon permission to take it for a while. There was a very specific place she wanted to go for some clarity. A place where she and Alden shared a connection. And she had a long trip ahead of her.

Sharon took a look at herself in the mirror. She put on a white ruffled button-down shirt with black polka dots and a pair of black jeans. She had just bought these clothes and knew that pretty soon, she wasn't gonna be able to fit into them. She slipped on her denim jacket. She packed some crackers and Ginger Ale into her backpack, knowing she might need them for the long car trip she was about to take. She then walked outside, hopped into her mom's car and drove off.

Sharon put on an old Mangled Metal CD. She could not believe how young Alden and Brock sounded on it. Maria had been talking about holding auditions to replace Alden in Mangled Metal. Sharon couldn't stand the thought.

She did have to pull over at one point to throw up in the woods, but it wasn't as bad as she expected it to be. After driving for a little over an hour, she finally arrived. She was at the cottage. Alden had given her a key and told her she was welcome to go there anytime she wanted right before they took off for their anniversary trip.

This was the place where she had lost her virginity. The place where she and Alden had created this child she was now bearing. She felt this was the perfect spot for her to go and think now that she could no longer sit on her roof.

She decided to enter the boathouse she watched the baby loon in 3 years ago. This is where she and Alden first talked after Marlo had dumped him. That was one of the best memories she had with him. She sat down on the floor in a yoga pose and started to meditate, hoping it would give her some clarity. She was soon interrupted by a loud noise. Somebody was opening the door.

"Hello?" She asked, feeling a little scared.

"Spitz?" A familiar voice called out.

"Brock?" She said in response. "What are you doing here?"

"Alden gave me a key a while ago. I've actually been coming here every weekend since Alden's death. I used to take trips here with him and his family when we were little kids. I like to come here and relive some of those memories."

"That's really nice." She said with a smile. "Alden gave me a key too. The night we came here for our anniversary. That was the last night I ever spent with him, you know."

"I know." Brock said, as he walked over to Sharon and sat down next to her on the floor. He put an arm around her to comfort her.

"How did you get here?" She asked.

"I took the bus. You?"

"My mom let me borrow her car to drive up here."

After a few minutes of silence, Sharon spoke up.

"Listen, Brock. I never really apologized to you. I'm really sorry for the way I spoke to you after you told us Alden died. I'm sorry I accused you of lying and being jealous of Alden and my relationship with him. I really didn't mean any of it. It was just easier to believe you were lying than it was to believe Alden was really gone."

"It's ok, Spitz. The thing is, you were actually right in some of what you said."

"What do you mean?"

"I was jealous of your relationship with Alden the first time around."

"Really?"

"I didn't have a girlfriend back then and I guess it bothered me that Alden was spending more time with you. I felt left out. So I wanted him to be single too. I also completely misjudged you. I thought you were this high maintenance, prissy girl who was bringing my best friend down. But I got to know you better when you and Alden became friends after you broke up. And I realized how kind, caring and fun you really are."

"I think you and I truly bonded with that whole protest we did over the Warsh and Stone animal testing labs."

"I remember that." He said, smiling. "Maria told me early in our relationship that you were the reason she finally gave me a chance. She said you'd been telling her what a good guy I was. So thank you for that. I owe a lot to you, because Maria is the best thing that ever happened to me. I really love her."

"You're welcome. I'm really happy you guys are still going strong." She started crying again. As happy as she was for Maria and Brock, she felt it was extremely unfair that the love of her life wasn't around. Especially in her current condition.

Brock gave her a hug. "I know losing Alden was just as hard for you as it was for me. Maybe even harder. But I hope you'll still come to New York with us next year. I know it won't be the same without Alden. But NYU is a great school and you'll still have fun out there. You shouldn't give up on your dreams either."

"I'd like to, but I don't know if it'll even be possible for me now. In fact, college might not even be an option for me, period."

"Why not?" He asked in shock.

"Because I'm pregnant."

Brock looked Sharon right in the eyes, wanting to make sure he heard her right. "Pregnant?" He asked.

She nodded her head in confirmation

"Are you serious?"

She nodded her head once again, not saying a word.

"Oh, man. Sharon... what are you gonna do?"

"I don't know. I'm leaning towards keeping it. I know being a single mom will be hard, but my mom managed to do it with 3 kids. I should be able to handle it with just 1. Right?"

"Yeah..." Brock replied, trying to think of how he could help Sharon out with her dilemma. "Listen, Sharon. I understand that as the girl in this situation, it's your choice what to do here. But maybe you should tell the guy who helped get you into this mess? It just doesn't seem fair for you to deal with this all by yourself."

"You see, I would. The problem is, he's dead."

"Alden is the one who got you pregnant?"

"Yeah, why is that a surprise? You thought I jumped into bed with some stranger after his death?"

"Well, people do strange things when they're grieving for loved ones. The thing is, I didn't realize you guys... I mean he never said anything..."

"It happened on our trip here the night before he died. So he probably didn't have a chance to tell you. If he had lived, I'm sure he would've been bragging all about how he finally got laid to you in school the next day."

"Nah, it wouldn't have been like that. He would've been bragging more about you and how amazing you are. And how his first time was "oh-so-special". Enough to make me nauseous!" Brock said as he did the gagging motion.

Sharon couldn't help but laugh. "Hey, that's how I feel right now. But for me, it's due to morning sickness."

"Oh, man. That's gotta suck."

"It does. Big time."

"It's things like this that make me glad to be a guy. Sorry you have to go through that right now though."

"It's ok. That's actually the least of my worries."

"Well, I better go catch the bus before I miss the last one out of here."

"You don't have to take the bus back, Brock. I'll drive you."

"You sure you don't mind?"

"Not at all. As long as you don't mind that I might have to pull over at some point to puke. I won't do it in the car though. My mom would flip."

"No, I think I can deal with that. Maybe you should get one of those sick bags for the car. You know, like the planes have?"

"That's not such a bad idea."

Sharon and Brock both laughed as they walked out of the boathouse and to her mom's car.

Luckily, Sharon's stomach seemed to hold out for this car ride. The crackers must've been working. She even shared some of them with Brock as they both tried to keep each other entertained during this long car ride.

"I really wish I could tell Alden I'm pregnant." Sharon sighed wistfully, as she watched the road ahead of her. "It's so unfair. He'll never know he's a father now. He deserves to know."

"Maybe there is a way you could tell him."

"Huh?"

"Have you visited his grave?"

"No, I haven't been able to bring myself to go there."

"Well, I think it's time we take a little trip to the graveyard. You can talk to him there."

"You really believe that'll work?"

Brock shrugged. "It couldn't hurt. And it might make you feel better. And I'll be right by your side if it gets too hard for you to be there."

Sharon thought about it and felt Brock had a point. It could give her a sense of closure. She decided to take the drive over there.

They got out of the car once they made it to the cemetery. Brock lead Sharon to Alden's grave.

"There's no headstone." Sharon pointed out.

"They take about 3 months to make. So when someone dies as suddenly as Alden did..."

She nodded. "Makes sense."

Brock put his hand on Sharon's back and gave her a little push. "Talk to him. I'm right here if you need me."

Sharon took a deep breath and approached Alden's grave. She wasn't exactly sure how to go about this. She was never all that religious. Mainly because she wasn't raised to be due to the mixed faiths in her family. So she wasn't sure if she believed Alden could really hear her. But as Brock said, it certainly couldn't hurt to try.

"Hi Alden." She started out. "I miss you. I love you so much and I always will. I'm seriously lost without you. I don't know what to do with myself or where my future lies now. But there's something I need to tell you." She sniffled as she tried to hold back tears. "You remember the very last night we spent together, right? At the cottage? Well, I did get pregnant. That's right. You're a father."

Suddenly, she felt herself overcome with a new emotion. She was no longer sad. She felt angry.

"You know, I keep playing the morning after in my head over and over again. I remember how we realized we didn't use a condom. And then you told me you would be here for me if I got pregnant and would take care of me. You even said you weren't going anywhere. But that was a lie, wasn't it? How could you offer to marry me when you wouldn't even be around to do so? How could you leave me to deal with my pregnancy all by myself? I need you, Alden! And you abandoned me!"

Sharon broke down crying right there. Brock ran up to her and gave her a hug.

"It's ok, Spitz. Just let it out."

"I'm sorry. I wasn't expecting to feel so much anger towards Alden. I know he didn't choose to leave us."

"I was angry with him at first too. I think it's normal."

"My mom did say anger is part of the 5 stages of grief."

"Do you feel any better now?"

Sharon thought about what Brock was asking her as she stared at Alden's grave. Suddenly, she felt something. She wasn't sure if Alden was somehow guiding her in some way. But a thought occurred to her. She placed both of her hands over her stomach. Alden might've been gone, but a part of him was still living on inside of her. That was when she knew exactly what she had to do.

She smiled as she wiped the tears from her eyes with her hands. "Yes, actually. I do."

"Good. Let's go back now. It's getting pretty late."

When Sharon got to Brock's house, she squeezed his hand before he got out of the car.

"Thanks for being here for me today, Brock. I really needed a friend. And bringing me to the cemetery was exactly the right thing to do." She said with a smile.

"Anytime, Spitz. And for what it's worth, I know my man, Jones, would support you if he were alive. He'd help you raise the baby if you wanted to keep it."

"I know. And I think he would've been a great dad too. Even though he was only 17."

"Well, I'll help you out since Alden can't. I'll help get you through the pregnancy. And if you keep the baby, Maria and I can both help out with babysitting. If you come to New York, that is. But if you stay in Elkford, we can help you when we come to visit."

"Thank you. I appreciate it."

"No problem, Spitz. Alden really cared about you. And I know he would want me to make sure you and his kid were being taken care of."

When Brock left, Sharon decided to make one last stop before going to her house. As she drove around, she admired all the Halloween decorations she saw on all the houses. She started thinking about celebrating Halloween with this little one she was carrying.

Picking out Halloween decorations to put up. Trying to keep him or her from eating too much candy. Picking out their Halloween costumes. Taking her child trick or treating.

Sharon parked at the food store she went to with Connor and Alyson yesterday. They were about to close, so she had to hurry. She raced inside and approached the baby food aisle. She picked up the Lion King bib she saw that day and ran to the front with her item. When she paid the cashier and left the store, she got inside her car and pulled the bib out of the small bag it was put in. Sharon smiled at the bib. She knew it would be perfect for her little one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope all my wonderful readers enjoyed this chapter and are happy with how this story is going so far! As always, your thoughts and opinions are more than welcome!


	10. My Heart Will Go On

That Monday at school, Sharon had gym with Maria. They were talking about Mangled Metal while waiting for the teacher.

"Listen, Maria. I wish I could help you out. But you're talking about replacing Alden. My deceased boyfriend who I'm still in love with and well, now, you know..." Sharon said, as she looked down at her stomach. "And in my current condition, I don't think I can handle it emotionally."

"Ok, I understand." Maria said with a sigh. "I'll have Brock and Carmen to help me judge, so we should be fine."

When the gym teacher arrived, he announced that they would be playing dodge ball and told everyone to get into their positions. Maria stopped Sharon as she was about to head over there.

"Sharon, are you sure it's such a hot idea for you to be participating in gym right now?"

"Won't it raise suspicion if I don't? I'm not ready for the whole school to know! I mean, I haven't even told my family yet."

"But this is dodge ball! What if the ball hits you in your stomach?" She then whispered in Sharon's ear, so that none of their classmates would hear her. "You don't want to risk a miscarriage, do you?"

Sharon sighed. She knew Maria was right.

Sharon talked to the gym teacher and told him she was having really bad cramps from her period. So he let her sit on the bench and watch the game until the end of class. Kinda ironic to be using her period as her excuse now. She normally never used her period to get out of gym. As much as she hated sports, she never wanted to look like a wimp. But this time, the safety of her baby depended on it.

Later that week, Maria had some surprising news for Sharon. They had held the auditions for Alden's replacement in Mangled Metal. And they chose Alyson! About 3 years ago, that would have been unthinkable. They would've been too concerned about softening their sound. But the girls had proven themselves to be badass when they beat the boys in a battle of the bands contest.

The fact that Sharon helped Alden out with writing the majority of Mangled Metal's songs since then probably helped them become more accepting of having a girl in the band too. Plus, Alyson had a great voice and was an awesome keyboard player. This was proven during that contest.

Sharon started catching up in school and was getting better grades than she did at the beginning of the semester. She still felt she could be doing better, but it was hard with all she had on her mind right now.

She was getting pretty close with Tracy too. Although Nina and her posse were giving Tracy a bit of a hard time, it was nothing like what Evie had put Sharon through. Though Sharon did find herself thinking she'd have to kick Nina's ass if she even laid so much as a finger on Tracy. It was weird that she was feeling so much rage. She didn't remember Dion being that protective of her when he was her mentor.

Pretty soon, the American Thanksgiving break came. While Sharon and her friends still had to go to school, it meant that Dion was back in Elkford for the next few days! She was set to meet him at Life Cycles that Saturday morning. The laundromat that also doubled as a smoothie bar was still the hottest hangout in Elkford after all these years.

She hoped things wouldn't be too weird when she saw Dion. When Alden died, she actually didn't e-mail Dion back for a while. He got worried and eventually emailed her to ask if everything was ok. That's when she explained what happened. He understood and expressed his condolences. They got back on track with emailing back and forth since then. Of course, she still hadn't told him about her pregnancy. How exactly was she supposed to explain that through email or AIM?

She decided to wear a white off-the-shoulder sweater and some skinny jeans with brown flat boots. She decided high heels were no longer an option for her, since she didn't want risk tripping. She was already naturally clumsy. She also struggled to zip up her jeans that morning, but eventually got them. They were uncomfortably tight. She wondered how much longer it would be before she needed maternity clothes.

She took a look at herself in her vanity mirror and fluffed up her bangs. Her hair was looking good today. And now that she had officially hit her 2nd trimester, her morning sickness had eased up quite a bit. She hadn't actually seen a doctor since she found out she was pregnant, but had been tracking her pregnancy through some parenting websites on the internet. This was easy to do since she knew her exact date of conception. She was starting to get excited about becoming a mom, even though she was still scared.

She put on her denim jacket as she left the house and took the walk over to Life Cycles. She glanced down at her bare nails at one point while she was walking. She usually always had nail polish on. But now the smell of acetone bothered her too much to paint her nails.

When Sharon arrived at Life Cycles, she saw Dion sitting on the couch there. She ran up to him and gave him a hug.

"Dion!" she exclaimed "I've missed you so much!"

"Right back at you, kid!" He said, as he hugged the blonde teen back. "How's my favorite person in Elkford doing these days?"

She shrugged. "Ok, I guess."

"Yeah, I know the last few months have been rough for you. And I'm sorry."

"You only know the half of it." Sharon thought to herself.

"Come on, let's order something to drink."

"Ok." Sharon smiled, as she took her jacket off and sat down on the couch.

Sharon got an organic banana smoothie, while Dion had some black coffee. Black coffee had been Dion's go-to drink ever since his freshman year at FIT. At first, he only drank it to help him stay awake during morning classes when he had been up too late studying or working on a design the night before. But after a while, he actually developed a liking for it.

"I still don't know how you can drink it black." Sharon stated, as she grimaced.

Dion shrugged. "Hey, coffee doesn't work for me if I put milk or sugar in it. So I have to drink it this way. Besides, it's really not so bad once you get used to it. Here, why don't you try a little bit." Dion offered her a sip.

"No!" Sharon shouted, then sheepishly lowered her voice. "No coffee for me. Thank you though."

"Ok..." Dion said, as he eyed her suspiciously. "Anyway, I think you'll end up finding it to be a lifesaver when you have to take early morning classes at NYU next year. Can't wait to have you there, by the way! It's so close to FIT too. So I think we'll be seeing a lot of each other next year."

Sharon sighed. She knew she was gonna have to break the bad news to Dion eventually.

"Yeah, about that..." She started out. "I don't think I'll be going to NYU next year."

"What? Why not?'" Dion asked in shock. "I mean, I know you're still upset about Alden's death. And understandably so. But you're not gonna be grieving forever. Don't throw your whole future away based on how you're feeling right now, hon."

"Throwing my future away, huh? I think I did that the moment Alden got me pregnant."

"Wait, what?" He asked, even more shocked than before.

"Yeah..."

"So, wait. Right now you're...?"

"Yep. Totally preggers. From the one and only time I've ever had sex. But I guess that's what happens when you don't use any protection."

She was surprised at herself for how much information she was giving Dion. But she felt like her emotions were on fire right now. Must've been all those pregnancy hormones.

"So, you must think I'm pretty stupid now, huh?"

"No, Sharon. I actually don't think that at all." Dion reassured her, as he put a comforting arm around the blonde girl.

"Really?"

"Well, I do think you should've been more careful. But everybody makes mistakes sometimes. Do you know what you're gonna do?"

Sharon nodded. "I've decided I'm gonna keep the baby."

Dion nodded and smiled at her. He somehow knew that would be her answer.

"So, how far along are you exactly?"

"14 weeks. I literally just hit my 2nd trimester today."

"How's your family taking this?"

Sharon looked down, avoiding eye contact.

"You haven't told them yet?"

Sharon shook her head no.

"Well what are you waiting for? Your delivery date? This isn't exactly the kind of thing you can hide forever, you know."

"I know. I'm just waiting for the right time and way to break it to them."

"Well, that better come soon. Because I think it's gonna start to become obvious."

"Yeah, that's another thing. I'm gonna start showing soon. And I'm dreading having to walk around school with a big, pregnant belly. Any fashion tips on how to hide it?"

Dion sighed. "Have I taught you nothing when I was your mentor? You shouldn't care what anyone in that school thinks about you."

"But what if they say I'm a slut? I mean, I know I'm pregnant. But I'm not a slut! Alden's the only guy I've ever slept with. And it was only once. Plus, we were together for a really long time."

Dion shrugged. "Let them call you whatever they want. You know you're not a slut and you're friends know you're not one. That's all that matters. By the way, who else knows about this?"

"Just Maria, Alyson, Connor and Brock. And they won't tell anyone else. So hopefully, it'll be a while before the rest of the school catches on. "

Dion shook his head. "I have to say, talking with you is making me realize how much I DON'T miss high school. I'm really glad to be out of there. People in college are so much more chill."

"Yeah, I can't wait to get out of there myself. But I do hope this little one doesn't prevent me from finishing." Sharon said, as she stroked her stomach.

"Look, my advice to you is to take care of yourself right now and just focus on being a good mom. You need to make sure you're ready when the baby comes."

Sharon nodded. "I've been doing that. I'm really trying to be careful about everything I'm doing now, because I know it'll affect my baby too. That's why I'm not drinking coffee."

"Gotcha." Dion replied. "As far as fashion tips go, just wear clothes that are comfortable. Not that I have any personal experience with being pregnant. But from what I've heard, you're gonna be very uncomfortable during the last few weeks. So you'll want to dress comfortably to help you cope. Of course, you can still be comfortable and stylin' at the same time." He gave her a playful punch on the shoulder. She smiled in response.

"Oh, and one last thing. Tell your family. The longer you wait, the more upset they're gonna be."

"Thanks, Dion." Sharon said with a smile. "I knew I could count on you for support."

"Anytime, kiddo."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I just, well you know, didn't know how to word it in email. And I didn't even know myself until about a month ago."

"It's ok. I understand."

They continued to chat as they finished their drinks.

"So, how's everything else going? You mentioned you're doing the Senior Mentor program we met through in one of your emails."

"Oh, yes. I really like the girl they matched me with. Her name is Tracy and I actually knew her beforehand. She's really sweet. Nina has been a little bitchy towards her, but she's surprisingly not as bad as Evie. I still find myself feeling more and more tempted to kick her ass every time she's mean to Tracy though. I know you used to defend me against Evie. But I don't recall you being as aggressive as I feel."

"It's your maternal instincts kicking in."

"You really think so?"

"Yeah. I think it shows you'll be a great mom. Of course, I already knew you would."

"Yeah?"

"You remember when you worked as an assistant for my uncle, right?"

"How could I forget?" She chuckled.

"Well, you were great with those kids. They all loved you! My uncle said he'd never seen the kids warm up to anyone as quickly as they did with you. He was really disappointed when you quit, you know."

"Well, I loved those kids too. And it felt good making them laugh. But walking around in a clown costume all day just wasn't for me. Of course, I might feel differently once my stomach gets really huge and I won't even be able to remove it at the end of the day."

Dion laughed. "So I'm glad the mentoring program is working out for you. I was hoping you'd find your own Sharon through it."

"Yeah, Tracy's great. She plays the violin and is into classical music just like Josh. Right now, Josh is crushing on Jessica. And while Jessica is nice, she's just not right for Josh. For many reasons. I'd like to set him up with Tracy."

Dion rolled his eyes. "Will you give it up already?"

"What?"

"Do I need to remind you of the disaster that was Houston?"

"Well, I still think you guys would've made a cute couple. You just didn't want me meddling in your life. So I've respected your wishes since then."

He sighed. "You're lucky you're pregnant right now."

"Why would you say that?"

"Because if you weren't, I'd kill you for being so annoying. But fortunately for you, I don't want to hurt an innocent baby." Dion smiled at Sharon to let her know he was just teasing. They both laughed as the day winded down. It was nice to have someone not treat her like a china doll for a change.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Told you I would include Dion in this fic! And even though he's no longer Sharon's high school mentor, he's still giving her great advice and telling her what she needs to hear. I plan on including him in later chapters as well. Hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. Next up, some family drama! Stay tuned!


	11. My Only Wish This Year

Before long, it was the day before Christmas Eve. The last day of school before their Christmas break started. While Sharon should've been happy to be off from school for a full week, she was actually really nervous. This is because her entire family was gonna be around her in the next couple of days. And while she loved her family dearly, she knew she couldn't keep her pregnancy a secret for much longer.

Helen was going to take Christmas Eve off from work to bake cookies, David would be off from work and Richard, Lauren and Griffin were coming over Christmas Day to do a combined Christmas/Hanukkah celebration. Josh had still insisted on honoring Richard's Jewish heritage and celebrating Hanukkah, just like 4 years ago. Only now, he didn't mind celebrating Christmas too.

Adam was also gonna be home from college. Sharon had taken a look at one of the pamphlets the clinic gave her. Specifically the one about teen parenthood, which explained what's involved in keeping the baby. There was a whole section in it about how to talk to your parents. One of the things suggested was to get some help from another trusted family member. This gave Sharon an idea.

As Sharon was getting dressed that morning, she took a look at herself in her mirror. While she still wasn't huge, there was definitely a noticeable bump now. Her stomach certainly wasn't as flat as it was in the beginning of the school year. She still wasn't in maternity clothes, but did have to recently buy clothes in larger sizes.

She decided to wear a baggy baby blue sweatshirt that fell off one shoulder, matching baby blue sweatpants and a black glittery scarf that she was gonna use to try and conceal her ever-growing belly. She was really worried other kids in school were going to catch on soon.

She stood at her locker with Maria and Connor, chatting before their homeroom that morning.

"So Sharon..." Maria started out casually. "Are you planning on springing your little secret on your family as some kind of Christmas surprise?"

"I have a plan." She responded, in a straightforward way.

"I still can't believe you haven't told them yet." Connor said. "I mean, you've known for what? 2 months now? And you have to be at least 4 and a half months along..."

Sharon sighed. "Look, I love you guys, but you don't understand what I'm going through. Trying to find a way to break this to my family is the most difficult thing I've had to face in my life so far."

"Maybe we don't know exactly what you're going through." Connor replied. "But we can tell you what we see."

Connor then took a deep breath. He knew what he was about to say was getting pretty personal. But he also knew as a friend, he needed to say something. After all, he got pretty pissed at her when he thought she wasn't confronting him about his bad breath the herbal treatments were giving him years ago. And even though he had been mistaken in thinking Sharon sent him the note about his breath, he knew he owed it to her to tell her the truth now.

"It's just... well... it's starting to become obvious..." Connor said as he eyed Sharon's stomach. "I don't think you're gonna be able to hide it for much longer."

Sharon attempted to pull down her scarf over her belly.

"He's right, you know." Maria agreed. "It's not gonna be long before people besides us figure out you're carrying a baby kangaroo in that pouch." Maria talked in a cutesy way and poked Sharon's stomach as she said this. This caused the blonde teenage girl to yelp.

"Maria!" She exclaimed in surprise.

"In other news, I got Mangled Metal a gig at Life Cycles tonight. You guys wanna come watch? We can have some smoothies and snacks to celebrate the start of Christmas break. My treat."

"Sure." Sharon replied. As much as she still missed Alden being in the band, she did want to show her support for Alyson. Besides, she wasn't gonna turn down Maria's offer to buy her food, being pregnant and all.

"Alyson's gonna be there?" Connor asked.

"Well, she is our newest member of Mangled Metal. So yeah..."

"I don't think I can deal with that tonight. I'll just do something with you guys during the break."

"Don't tell me Canada's favorite couple is having problems." Maria said, chuckling slightly.

"I don't wanna talk about it. See you guys around." Connor walked off to his homeroom.

"Woah, I wonder what that was about?" Maria questioned.

"I don't know. I hope everything's ok between them." Sharon responded.

At the end of the school day, Nina walked up to Sharon as she was getting her coat and backpack from her locker.

"Try not to eat too many Christmas cookies during the break, Braceface."

"Why would you say that, Nina?"

"Well..." Nina said, as she looked down and poked Sharon's stomach. "Let's just say you've got a definite beer belly going on here. You didn't seriously think you were fooling anyone with that scarf, did you?"

Sharon put both her hands over her stomach in response. She wasn't even halfway through her pregnancy yet and she was already sick of being poked there!

"Don't forget, you're now widowed. That puts you back on the market. You don't want to let yourself go too much."

"Believe me, Nina. I'm not interested in dating right now. At all."

"Well, I guess it doesn't matter if you're getting fat then. Maybe you can get a job in the mall as Santa! Merry Christmas, Braceface!" Nina did her signature evil laugh as she walked off.

Sharon sighed. She was actually relieved Nina thought she was just "getting fat" and not that she was pregnant. Looks like Alyson was right. Nina was just being nice to her right after Alden died for show. Now she was back to her wicked ways.

At Life Cycles, Sharon sat at a table with Maria as they listened to Mangled Metal perform. Sharon had to admit, they sounded good. Alyson was so different from Alden, but it somehow worked. If anybody had to replace Alden in the band, she was glad it was her.

Sharon told Maria all about her confrontation with Nina earlier.

"No way! I can't believe she called you a widow and rubbed the fact that you're single again in your face! That's so insensitive, even for her. Besides, she's one to talk. Isn't she back on the market too?"

"As far as I know."

"And what happened with Griffin exactly? Did he dump her or was she the one who broke his heart? And what was it over?"

Sharon shrugged. "The world may never know. Griffin won't talk about it. And good luck getting Nina to tell us anything."

Sharon finished all her food and started stealing fries from Maria.

"Hey!" Maria cried, as she pulled her tray away. "I got you 2 extra large fries and a veggie burger with about a million different toppings. And extra pickles on the side! Yet you're still stealing food from me?"

"Hey, you try being pregnant!" Sharon declared, as she sipped her organic strawberry banana smoothie.

"No thank you. I don't plan on going through that."

"You might want to someday, you know."

"Well, maybe. But it's not going to be for a very long time."

"Yeah, that's what I said when we did the parenting project back in 9th grade. Now look at me." Sharon responded as she caressed her belly.

"Yeah, but that's different. You weren't care-" She stopped herself when she saw the hurt look on Sharon's face. "Sorry."

"It's ok."

She gave in and let Sharon have the rest of her fries. Partly out of guilt.

"I'll make an exception since you are eating for 2 now. But you owe me!"

"I'll let you eat my fries when you get pregnant."

"You mean if."

"Trust me, it's a when. And it'll be with Brock!"

The raven-haired teen rolled her eyes. "Don't tell me being pregnant has given you psychic powers."

"I'm not psychic. It's called intuition. And I don't need to be pregnant to have it."

"Thank you, Jewel."

Alyson pulled up a chair to their table and sat down with them.

"You were great, Alyson! Awesome job!" Sharon said, as she pat the brunette girl on her back. "And cute outfit! You look amazing!"

Alyson was wearing a hot pink sequined tank top, white satin miniskirt and black lace-up knee boots. Her hair had loose curls and her makeup was on point.

"Yeah." Maria agreed. "I knew going with you was the right choice. Thank you for proving it tonight!"

"Thanks guys." Alyson said with a sniffle. Then she started crying.

"What's wrong Alyson?" Sharon asked, her green eyes filled with concern.

"I wish Connor came tonight!"

"Yeah, what's up with that anyway?" Maria asked. "He normally supports everything you do. It's not like him to not show up for this kind of thing."

Alyson looked down at her glittery pink nails and started picking at one of them. "I'm not sure I want to go to Banting anymore."

"What?" Sharon and Maria simultaneously asked in shock.

"Well, I applied to Julliard a while ago. But I didn't think I had a shot at getting in. That's why I settled for Banting. But once I informed them about joining Mangled Metal, I was told I have a real chance now."

"I thought you chose Banting for their medical program. It's the best school for that." Sharon said.

"Being a heart surgeon is just my backup dream, remember? My number 1 dream has always been to be in a rock band. And Julliard is the best school for THAT. Alden wanted to be a rock star too, so I shouldn't have to tell you that."

"Ok, but what about Connor? Do you really want to do the long distance thing with him?" Maria asked.

"There are plenty of schools in New York he can get into for computer science. With his grades, anyone will take him. But he refuses to think about any school that isn't Banting. He's being so stubborn about this."

"Well, yeah." Sharon replied. "I mean, Banting has only been his dream school since kindergarten."

"But I shouldn't have to give up my dream!" Alyson sniffled again. "I just... I hate fighting with him! We never fight..."

"Hey, all couples fight sometimes. It's totally normal." Sharon said, as she put a comforting arm around Alyson's shoulder. "In fact, it's a sign of communication. So it can actually be a good thing."

"He's so mad at me for applying to Julliard without talking to him first."

"He'll come around. Just give him some space."

"Yeah." Maria agreed. "Besides, tomorrow is Christmas Eve. So you know all will be right again when you exchange gifts and kiss under the mistletoe."

"I sure hope you're right..." Then Alyson turned to her blonde friend. "I'm sorry, Sharon. Here I am complaining about my problems, when yours are about a thousand times worse."

Sharon shook her head. "You're fine. I could actually use the distraction right now."

"Still dreading telling your family?" Maria asked.

"More than I've ever dreaded anything in my life. And that's saying a lot."

"You know they'll still love you, Sharon."

"I know, but I hate to disappoint them. They all expect better of me than this. Way to ruin everyone's Christmas..."

"Actually, I find the holidays tend to put people in a more forgiving mood. So now might actually be the perfect time to tell them."

"I hope so..."

Sharon woke up the morning of Christmas Eve preparing for spending Christmas with her family. Ready for baking cookies, decorating the tree, though not so much caroling as she wasn't sure she had the energy to go door to door this year. And she definitely wasn't ready for telling her family she was having a baby.

"Maybe I can try to put off telling them for at least another month?" She wondered to herself.

Then she looked at her stomach in the mirror.

"Who am I kidding?" She thought to herself. "I'll be big as a house by then!"

She got ready and put on a baggy long-sleeved pink t-shirt and black sweatpants. She was seriously finding sweatpants to be a lifesaver lately.

When she finished getting ready, she knew Adam would be arriving any minute. She went down to the living room to watch tv and wait, while munching on some strawberry Pop-Tarts. When Adam walked through the door, Sharon ran up to him and gave him a hug.

"I'm so glad to see you!" She exclaimed. "I've missed you so much!

"Same here, sis." He hugged back and smiled. "So how are you doing? Other than, well, you know..."

Adam knew about Alden's death because he and Sharon had been chatting on AIM and talking on the phone regularly while he was away at Smithdale University in Toronto. She didn't want to tell him about her pregnancy over the phone though. And definitely not on AIM.

Sharon shrugged. "All right, I guess."

Adam nodded. "Well, I'm excited for this whole Spitz family Chrismukkah celebration we have going on this year."

"Right out of The OC!"

Sharon and Adam both laughed.

"Let me say hi to the rest of the family. You and I can talk once I get settled."

Sharon smiled. "Sounds good." She tried to sound cool as she said this, but the truth is she was on pins and needles.

Later on, Josh went caroling door to door with Sara and Lara. Sharon just used the excuse that she wanted to help Adam get settled in the guest room. He had to sleep in there now that the twins were in his old room. This was her perfect chance to talk to him.

As Adam was unpacking his suitcase, Sharon closed the door behind them and sat on the bed.

"So, I was kinda hoping I could talk to you." She said in a glum tone.

"Oh." He sat down next to his little sister on the bed and gave her a hug. "I think I know what this is about."

"You do?" She asked, sounding puzzled.

He nodded. "First Christmas since Alden's death. That's rough. You've probably walked around the mall looking for the perfect gift for him, only to realize you can't give it to him, right? And you're probably thinking about what he would have given you."

She actually wasn't thinking about any of that. She was so consumed with this baby she had growing inside her, it didn't even occur to her that this was her first Christmas without Alden. She was feeling emotional all over again. She started crying.

"Hey. it's ok." Adam continued hugging her. "I know it might not seem like it now, but you will get through this. I've known you your whole life. You're strong."

It seemed Adam still remembered some of the training he underwent from when he interned at the funeral home.

Sharon shook her head and wiped her tears away with her hand.

"Listen, Adam. I have to tell you something. And I don't think you're gonna like it."

"Why? What's going on?" He asked, sounding alarmed.

"I got myself into a big mess. Like, bigger than ever."

"What happened? Did you get arrested for breaking into a product testing lab and freeing all the animals?" He joked, in an attempt to lighten the mood.

Although considering that Sharon had a history of doing whatever it took to save the lives of innocent animals everywhere, this wasn't exactly out of the realm of possibility.

"No, I wasn't arrested for anything." She replied, as she rolled her eyes.

"Ok, guess you're not in the mood for jokes. Look, I'm sure whatever it is can't be that bad. Right?"

"I'll let you be the judge of that. You're... gonna be an uncle."

Adam was confused at first. Then he connected the dots and laughed.

"Good one!" He said, as he patted his sister on the back. "Glad to see you still have your sense of humor. You really had me going there."

"It's not a joke..."

Adam continued laughing until he saw the way Sharon was looking down and avoiding eye contact. His eyes widened in horror.

"Oh my God! You are serious, aren't you?"

"Yeah..."

"Please tell me you were using protection and it just happened to fail. Because if the condom broke, at least I could understand that."

"I could, but that would be a lie."

"Sharon! What the hell is wrong with you?" He started yelling at her. "I thought you were smarter than that! And it's bad enough you got pregnant. But do you know how many STDs you could've exposed yourself to by having unprotected sex with some random..."

"It wasn't with somebody random! He was my boyfriend for 3 years and he was a virgin! So there really was no chance of me catching an STD from him."

"It's Alden's..." Adam's tone of voice softened.

"Of course it is! Why does everyone think I would go sleep with some random stranger just because I'm in mourning? Doesn't anybody know me at all?"

"You're right. I know that's not your style. I just didn't realize you were that far along."

He then looked down at Sharon's stomach. It was a little hard to tell at first because of how baggy her shirt was. But now that he was looking at it closely, he could make out a definite bump there.

"I mean, if it's Alden's, you have to be what? Almost 5 months?"

"Yeah..."

"And how long have you known exactly?"

"I found out a couple of months ago."

"You and I talk on the phone a lot. I understand if you're too scared to tell our parents about this. But why didn't you feel you could talk to me? You know I wouldn't have told anyone else."

"You mean because you took it so well just a few seconds ago?"

Adam sighed. "I'm sorry for yelling at you, Sharon. I was just shocked. And I'm still trying to process the fact that my baby sister is having a baby."

"Besides, I didn't think you'd want to find out over the phone."

"There really was no good way to break this to me. Ok, so no point in beating around the bush. What do you plan on doing? I know your options are probably a little more limited now, but.."

"I'm keeping the baby."

"Are you sure you want to do that, Sharon? I mean, I'm not trying to tell you what to do. But being a parent is a big responsibility and you're only 17. I'm 20 and I don't think even I could handle it."

"I know it's gonna be a lot to deal with. But I'll make it work somehow."

"But what about college and becoming a vet? I'd hate to see this stop you from achieving your dream. I really did mean it when I told you I think you'll be a great vet someday, you know. But it still takes years of schooling. And if you have to take care of a child..."

"Becoming a psychologist takes years of schooling too. But mom managed to do it while she was taking care of you and me."

"Mom also had support from dad. Hate to bring this up, but with Alden dead..."

"But that's exactly why I need to do this. This is a baby Alden and I created together. It's a memory from the last night I spent with him. The last connection I have to him. I can't just give that up!"

"I understand how you feel. But..."

"I've had a lot of time to think about this. I don't really know what it means for the rest of my future. I know life is gonna be harder for me as a teen mom. But my mind is made up."

Adam nodded. He knew once his little sister made up her mind about something, there was no use in trying to change it.

"So when do you plan on telling the rest of the family? If you getting bigger doesn't tip them off, I think a crying baby will..."

"I was hoping you could help me out there. I was planning on announcing it when everyone's over tomorrow. This way, I can tell them all at once and get it over with."

"Good plan. Where do I come in?"

"I want you to help me break it to them."

"I don't know, Sharon. I'm not sure I should get in the middle..."

"Please, Adam? I need at least one person in this family on my side! The twins are too young. Josh is still pretty young too. I'm close with Griffin, but things are still a bit turbulent with him and the rest of the family. You're someone everybody in this family respects. And you and I have always been there for each other when it really counts."

Adam sighed. "Ok, I'll help ease them into it. But you're gonna be the one to actually tell them you're pregnant."

Sharon smiled and hugged her big brother. "Thanks, Adam! I knew I could count on you!"

"You'd better let me teach my little nephew or niece some wrestling moves for this."

"Nothing too rough!"

"I just hope this kid doesn't inherit your clumsiness." He laughed.

Sharon playfully smacked Adam on his shoulder, but laughed too.

The day went on with their annual Spitz family Christmas Eve traditions. David was out at the mall with the twins. Helen was baking cookies in the kitchen, with the tofurkey in the oven. Sharon and Adam were decorating the tree. Josh was putting up some stuff for Hanukkah. These were traditions Sharon was looking forward to sharing with her own child.

Helen poked her head into the living room from the kitchen.

"Sharon, honey. There are some more ornaments down in the basement. Would you mind bringing those boxes up here?"

"Sure, mom."

Sharon started to walk toward the basement, until Adam pulled her arm and stopped her.

"I got the tree, Sharon. I'm the only one tall enough to put the star on top anyway. Why don't you help mom out with the cookies?"

"It's not a big deal. I don't mind getting the boxes."

"No, really Sharon. I got this."

"But Adam..."

He pulled her aside and whispered. "I don't think you should be lifting all those heavy boxes, Sharon." He motioned towards her stomach with his eyes.

She realized her brother was right, so she resigned herself to helping Helen in the kitchen.

The morning of Christmas, Sharon paced in her room. She was dressed in a baggy velour yellow hooded sweatshirt and matching sweatpants. Her entire family was downstairs in the living room. And she was gonna have to tell them. She felt like throwing up, even though her morning sickness had pretty much stopped.

When she left her room, Adam was in the hallway. Had he been waiting for her?

"You ok?" He asked her.

She shook her head. "I feel like I'm gonna puke."

"Morning sickness?"

"No, I think it's nerves."

"You'll be ok. Yoga breaths." He led her through it. It was funny how she was the one who taught Adam this technique, yet he was usually the one who needed to remind her.

"Remember how you felt when you had to tell me and mom that you were the one who crashed the car? You were scared, but you did it. And I forgave you for letting me take the fall... eventually."

"There was also the time I had to tell you I was the one who caused you to get funeral director on that online career test you took. I was so scared you'd kill me. And yet, you're the one I ended up turning to with my pregnancy."

"You can do this. And I'll have your back the entire time." He gestured towards the stairs. "Let's go."

When they got to the living room, she saw the whole family sitting around. It seemed that Adam had already told them she had something to say.

Adam cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "So Sharon has something to tell you all. But first, just remember how tough these last few months have been for her. How she's still struggling to cope with Alden's death and it's especially hard with it being Christmas today. So maybe we can try to show some leniency here?"

He then pat the blonde teen on her back and gently pushed her to go up.

"So... there really is no easy way to say this. And you're not gonna be happy no matter how or when I tell you. So I'm just gonna come out and say it. I'm pregnant with Alden's baby."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there it is! Sharon finally announced her pregnancy to her family! Question is, how will they react? Keep reading to find out!


	12. Papa Don't Preach

Sharon shut her eyes tight. Her whole body went stiff and her heart would not stop pounding. It felt like time had frozen. There it was. Her secret was finally out. She had told. Before giving anyone else a chance to speak, she decided to quickly add on one more thing.

"Oh, and I've decided to keep it...." She said in a shaky voice. She then opened up her eyes to see everyone's reactions.

Sara and Lara both smiled and cheered. "Yay! We're gonna be aunts!" They both gave each other high fives. Guess they were still too young to understand how serious Sharon's situation was.

Josh and Griffin both exchanged shocked expressions with each other. And then there were the parents and step parents. Their reactions were coming...

"WHAT?" all 4 adults screamed out at once.

"Wait..." Richard started. "Didn't Alden die months ago?"

"He did..."

Helen started counting up on her fingers. "So... you're in your 2nd trimester already?"

Sharon nodded and looked down.

"Well, I guess that explains all the nausea. And your sudden increase in appetite." Helen sounded like she wanted to cry. "Oh, how did I miss this? I've been through this 3 times. How could I not tell with my own daughter? I knew I should've made you go to the doctor..."

Sharon was holding back some tears herself. "It's not your fault, mom. I deliberately tried to hide it. Plus, I was super stressed out about everything else going on in my life. It was easy to chalk my symptoms up to that. That's why I didn't even realize it until a couple of months ago."

"Wait, you've known for a couple of months and you're just telling us NOW? Why didn't you say something the moment you found out?" Richard yelled.

Richard was normally known for being laid-back and cool. But there were certain situations where he would become strict and start acting like a real parent. Like when Sharon got drunk at one of his concerts at age 13 or when she was caught smoking with Griffin a few years ago. Guess finding out his teenage daughter is pregnant was another situation that brought out this side of him.

Adam stepped in when he noticed some tears escaping Sharon's eyes. "Sharon was scared. Just like any teenage girl in her situation would be. And to make matters worse, she doesn't have Alden around to help her deal with any of this."

Richard pointed a finger at Adam and shouted. "And you knew about this?"

"Don't be mad at him!" Sharon shouted, as she jumped to her big brother's defense. "I didn't even tell him until yesterday. And I asked him not to say anything. He was just being a good brother to me. Like always."

"Oh please!" Richard retorted. "You're not children covering for each other anymore." He then turned back to Adam. "You're an adult now. Sharon is still under 18. As parents, we have a right to know what's going on with our underage daughter. And it's your responsibility to tell us if you know anything now."

Sharon was still in tears. She felt terrible for dragging Adam into her mess now. She was expecting there to be anger towards her, but not him. Having him there was supposed to make this go smoother.

"Stop yelling at him!" Sharon screamed. "I'm the one who screwed up here! So I'm the one you should be mad at! Just yell at me!"

"Maybe we should just stop yelling altogether?" David suggested. "I'm sure Sharon's stressed out enough as is. All this stress can't be good for the baby..."

"Have you been seeing a doctor, sweetie?" Helen asked, trying to focus on what was really important.

Sharon shook her head no. "I went to a clinic to confirm the pregnancy. But I haven't seen a doctor since then."

Helen shook her head. "That's not good. You should be seeing an OB/GYN on a regular basis now. You need to make sure that you're healthy and everything is going ok with the baby. You should also be taking prenatal vitamins."

"Prenatal vitamins?" Sharon had no idea what those were, let alone that she was supposed to take them.

Helen nodded. "You should've started taking them the moment you found out you were pregnant. I'm gonna make some phone calls tomorrow and get you an appointment for as soon as possible. We're also gonna have to talk about what you plan on doing for college. I know you really want to go to school in New York, but I can help you out if you stay here. There are plenty of great vet schools around Elkford I'm sure you could get into."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing from you, Helen!" Richard shouted. "You're just gonna let her throw her life away like that? She should not be keeping this baby! She's way too young!"

"We were young too. It's not like we planned on having Adam. Or for that matter, Sharon. I was still finishing up my degree at the time. And neither of us even wanted kids before Adam came along."

"You were still an adult. Sharon is just a 17-year-old kid. She should not be having a kid of her own. And the fact that she got herself into this situation proves she's not ready for that kind of responsibility."

"I will be 18 next year, you know." Sharon informed him.

"You're still only going to be 17 when the baby is born."

"Well, it's still my baby! That means the choice is mine. Not yours!"

"Lauren, help me out here?"

Lauren walked over to Sharon and put an arm around her.

"I'm sorry you're going through all this, honey. I know how easy it is to get attached to a life that's growing inside you. But you are only 17. You have your whole life ahead of you. You deserve to get a good education and excel in your career as a vet before having kids. Not to mention, there are going to be all kinds of college parties you'll have to miss out on if you're stuck taking care of a baby."

"Not being able to party is a sacrifice I'm definitely willing to make. And I can still get a good education and excel in my career."

"It's gonna be a lot harder. Do you know the dropout rate for teenage mothers? I just think you should consider all your options."

"I have. I even read the pamphlets on options the clinic gave me. I decided raising the baby is the best one for me."

"Do you know there are people out there that really want kids but can't have them? You could be giving somebody a wonderful gift if you put the baby up for adoption."

"I'm not giving my baby away to some strangers!"

"You can do an open adoption where..."

"I know! I already made up my mind. A long time ago."

"Look, I don't have a problem with Sharon keeping the baby if she wants to." Helen chimed in. "And she's gonna be living with me and David, not you and Richard. So I think we have more of a say here than you do."

"I don't have a say in it when I'm watching my daughter ruin her own life?" Richard asked, in a huffy tone.

"Her life won't be ruined! It just has to change a little."

Sharon couldn't believe it. Her parents hadn't fought like this since she was a little kid. They actually got along pretty well after the divorce. Now they were back to fighting again. All because of her. She felt sick.

"It's my baby!" She shouted. "The only one who gets a say in this is me! I'm the one who has the legal right to decide what to do here."

"It's not like you to be so irresponsible in the first place!" Richard declared. "That kid Alden pressured you, didn't he?"

"What? No!"

"I don't believe that for a minute."

"Oh yeah? We were together for 2 years and he never once pressured me for sex. And when we finally did it? I was actually the one who suggested it. That's right. It was all my idea! So again, just be mad at me. Not him."

"Yeah right. I remember what it was like to be a 17-year-old boy. I know they only have 1 thing on the brain. And if he wasn't already dead, I would kill him myself right now!"

"I can't believe you just said that! That's horrible!"

"That was out of line, Richard!" Helen agreed. "You know how hard losing Alden has been for her. She's still not over his death. And to make things even harder, she's now pregnant with his child."

"Well, maybe she should've thought about how hard things would be for her before she let him get her pregnant!"

"You know what?" Sharon screamed, as she grabbed her coat from the closet and threw it on. "I can't deal with any of this right now! I'm out of here!" She started running.

"Sharon, wait!" Helen tried to run after her.

But it was no use. The blonde teen was running faster than anyone in her family could. She went out the door, slammed it and took off. Not looking back once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, that didn't go as well as one might've hoped! Was anyone surprised that Helen actually took it better than Richard did? Sorry if this chapter was a little short, but I thought this was a good spot to end it in (the chapter before this was actually the longest one in the story so far). Another cliffhanger! Next chapter should be up soon enough. We'll find out where Sharon's going!


	13. Free Fallin'

Sharon kept running and didn't stop until she was sure nobody could catch up to her. By the time she stopped, she felt dizzy and out of breath. She was surprised she could run so fast while pregnant. She hoped she wasn't doing any serious harm to her baby. She was already worried about what damage she might've done by not taking prenatal vitamins this whole time.

She took a few minutes to catch her breath. Then she tried to think about what to do next. She wasn't sure where she wanted to go, but just about anywhere was better than going back home. Well, she knew where she would want to go. She wanted nothing more than to run to Alden right now. She just wanted to cry in his arms while he held her and said some comforting words to her.

That was another family she was gonna have to talk to. As much as she was dreading it, they did have a right to know they were going to be grandparents and aunts. And Sharon did want them involved in her child's life. She constantly thought about the fact that her kid was gonna grow up without a father. And she knew that as he or she aged, they were going to have all kinds of questions about him. She hoped having Alden's family around would help make all this a little easier.

But she was not gonna go over there and tell them now. She'd already ruined 1 family's Christmas for the year. She was still shaken by how badly things went with her own. She'd never heard her dad speak to anyone that way before, let alone his own daughter. Who knew it would take her screwing up this bad to bring out this side of him? She knew he wouldn't be happy, but she wasn't quite expecting him to take it this badly. And she certainly wasn't expecting her parents to fight over her decision to keep the baby.

She was also surprised at how well her mom seemed to be taking this. Sharon was totally expecting her mother to freak out. But instead, she was supportive of her decision to raise the baby and even offered to help out. Then again, her mom had also counseled pregnant teenage girls before. Not to mention, she'd been through 2 unplanned pregnancies herself. This probably made her more sympathetic towards Sharon's situation.

Sharon kept walking to nowhere in particular. She could've gone to Connor, Maria, Alyson or Brock to vent about what just happened. Or even Dion's place, since he was now home for Christmas break too. But she didn't want to wreck their Christmases with their families. They had already done so much for her. Given her so much support over the last couple of months during her pregnancy. She didn't want to be a burden to them on Christmas Day.

Suddenly, she heard her stomach growl. It seems she had worked up an appetite by running so fast. It was pretty easy to work up an appetite in her condition anyway. She wanted nothing more than a veggie burger with a side of fries and an organic strawberry smoothie from Life Cycles right now. But since it was Christmas, Life Cycles was closed. All the local food stores were closed too. There had to be somewhere she could go to get food!

Just then, she passed a 24-hour convenience store that was still open. She was in luck! She bought unfrosted Pop Tarts in just about every flavor the store sold, 3 boxes of Oreos, 2 bags of pretzels and an assortment of potato chip flavors. She ended up walking out of the store with 5 shopping bags of food.

Now that the sweat she had worked up from running earlier had dissipated, she felt cold in the frosty December air. She tried to properly zip up her light blue coat. Only thanks to her baby bump. she couldn't get it all the way up. How is it with all the bigger sized clothing she bought, she forgot to get a larger sized winter coat? She sighed. She was in such a rush to leave her house, she didn't bring her hat, scarf or gloves either. So she knew she was gonna be freezing for as long as she remained outside. But she didn't care right now.

She wondered what time it was. She looked for her phone. She checked in every single pocket she had. Great. Apparently, her phone was something else she forgot in her desperation to leave. She last remembered having it with her in her room right before she walked out to make her announcement to her family. Must've still been up there. Not that she was really in the mood to talk to anyone anyway. And the one person she wanted to talk with obviously couldn't be reached by phone.

She was still so hungry. She just wanted to sit down somewhere to eat her snacks. Just then, she saw the local park she always went to. She walked over to the swings and set her bags down on the ground. She pulled out the blueberry Pop Tarts and sat on one of the swings as she chowed down.

She looked around the park as she was eating. Being there certainly brought her back to a simpler time in life. Back when she was little. Even her early teen years seemed simple compared to everything she was going through now. To think she thought that having braces made her life complicated. Now she'd give anything to have those days back! Back when Alden was still alive. And long before she became pregnant with his child.

She started crying again. All these pregnancy hormones were making it harder than ever to control her emotions. In an attempt to calm herself down, she tried to think about coming to this park with her own child. Pushing her little boy or girl on the swings, watching them go down the slide, going for walks with her child. Then she took a look at the snow and thought of her child playing in it. It did make her feel better to focus on all that, but she couldn't help but feel it was wrong to imagine doing all this without Alden by her side.

"Sharon?" Her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice calling out.

"Hey Griffin." Sharon sniffled as she continued munching on her Pop Tart.

Griffin looked around Sharon and noticed all the shopping bags of food surrounding her.

"Damn, girl! Are you feeding an army out here?"

Sharon laughed slightly. "This baby is making my appetite bigger than Adam's."

"I've heard of eating for 2, but this looks more like eating for 200."

"Looks like this kid takes after his or her uncle."

He than noticed Sharon sitting on a swing. "Are you sure it's safe for you to be on that thing?"

"It should be fine. I'm just sitting here, not actually swinging. And my feet are barely even off the ground."

Griffin nodded. "Fair enough." He then sat on the swing right next to his stepsister.

"Man, this is total Deja Vu. I remember sitting on these swings with you years ago right after..." He then noticed Sharon glaring at him. "Never mind."

She knew he was about to bring up the whole incident where her pump-up bra exploded in public. Possibly the number 1 spot for the most humiliating moment in her life. Though the competition for that position was pretty fierce. In any case, she certainly didn't need to be reminded of that whole disaster!

"At least you were kind enough to lend me your jacket after it happened." She then held out the box of Pop Tarts to him. "Pop Tart? They're blueberry. Unfrosted though. You know, the whole gelatin thing."

"Sure." He reached into the box and pulled out a wrapped Pop Tart.

"What are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be at my house for the whole Chrismukkah celebration?"

"I was worried about you. We all were. We tried calling and texting your cell after you ran out, but you wouldn't answer for any of us. So I decided to walk around and check all your usual hangout spots. Adam's driving around looking for you. Everyone else stayed back. Richard, Helen, Lauren and David all really wanted to try to find you too. But Adam convinced them that him and I were the only ones who wouldn't send you running even further."

"He was probably right about that. And I don't have my phone with me. I left it at home by accident."

"So..." Griffin started out, as he unwrapped his Pop Tart and ate it. "Things got pretty intense in there, huh?"

"I've never seen my dad like that before. I mean, I knew he wasn't going to like it. I just wasn't quite prepared for this. He wasn't even this bad when I was caught smoking with you on camera. And you remember how well that went! He totally hates me now..."

Griffin shook his head. "He doesn't hate you. He's just worried."

"But the things he said! I just can't believe that all came from my dad. And I know Lauren means well, but I already decided putting this baby up for adoption wouldn't be right for me. I just.. I have to keep it. For Alden and for myself. Even if being a single teen mom makes life harder for me."

"For what it's worth, I think you're very brave for making that decision."

"Really?"

"Yeah, you're choosing to take a hard road. You know raising the baby won't be easy, but you're doing it because you feel it's right. Now that's the Sharon we all know and love."

"Guess I never was one for doing things the easy way."

"Not only do I think you're brave for keeping the baby, I think you're brave for sticking through with the pregnancy. You're gonna have to walk around school and other places pregnant. There are gonna be people who don't even know you that are gonna see you and just assume things about you."

"Yeah, not really helping..."

"My point is, don't let anybody make you feel bad for doing what's right for you. Just like how nobody can ever make you feel bad for being a vegetarian."

"I don't think any of the options available were really easy. It's just a difficult position to be in. I just know this is the right choice for me."

"Well, you're also dealing with the death of your boyfriend and baby's father on top of all this. I still say you're a lot tougher than you give yourself credit for."

"Well, Maria is the toughest person I know. And she's been my best friend for all these years. Guess something must've rubbed off on me. Plus, being bullied by Nina and other mean girls throughout high school probably also had something to do with that. Oh, sorry. I brought her up again..."

"No, it's ok. She was part of my life for a long time and is still part of yours. No point in pretending she doesn't exist, right?"

"Believe me, I'd sure like to sometimes. Are you ever gonna tell me what happened there? All this talk about being tough, you would always tell me about how tough Nina is. Isn't that one of the reasons you were so in love with her?"

Then a look on Griffin's face said it all. It was the same look Alden would always give her whenever he told her he loved her.

"Oh my God!" She thought to herself. "He's still in love with her!"

"I mean, I'm not trying to pry. I just want to help. I hate seeing you so miserable over this whole thing."

"I know. And I'm glad you care. Which can't be easy in this case, since I know Nina has never been your favorite person. But I'm just not ready to talk about it. There's really nothing you can do at this point anyway."

Just then, she noticed a slightly beat-up blue car pull up on the side of the road. She knew who that was.

Adam got out of the car. "There you are!" He cried out as he ran over to Sharon. Everyone is so worried about you! I understand needing to get out, but why aren't you answering your phone? At the very least, why aren't you answering MY calls and texts? You did trust me enough to tell me about your pregnancy first..."

"I'm sorry." She said remorsefully. "I don't have my phone with me. I think I left it in my room." She slid herself off the swing.

"Your jacket isn't zipped up all the way..." Adam observed.

"I have Junior here to thank for that." Sharon replied, as she put a hand over her stomach.

"It's freezing out here! You're gonna get hypothermia." He took his own coat off and put it over Sharon's shoulders. "You are your baby's lifeline, you know. Let's get in the car. I have the heat turned all the way up."

"I'll get your food." Griffin responded as he picked up all the shopping bags.

"Hey, are you gonna share any of that?" Adam asked.

"Do you have a baby in your belly right now?" Sharon replied.

Adam looked defeated.

Sharon laughed. "Kidding. Help yourself."

"Thanks!" He replied as he pulled out some Oreos and started eating them.

Adam spent the next few minutes just driving around with Sharon and Griffin, knowing Sharon didn't want to return home immediately. He sent a quick text to let Helen know he found her.

"I think dad might apologize to you as soon as you get home. He feels really bad for the way he reacted. And even worse that you ended up running out of the house because of what he said."

"It wasn't just that. I mean, yeah. I still can't believe he said all that to me. But the fact that mom and dad were fighting over me keeping the baby. It just reminded me of when we were little kids."

Adam nodded his head, knowing exactly what Sharon was talking about. "Before the divorce."

"Right. I just flashed back to all these long repressed memories of them screaming at each other while I'd be trying to sleep in my room. Or fighting on the holidays like this. But then when they got divorced, they seemed to get along better than ever. Until today. And I hate knowing I was the reason for them fighting again after all these years."

"You can't blame yourself for that, Sharon. Whether or not they were fighting about you, they're still adults and still responsible for the things they say and do. You can't blame yourself for other people's behavior."

"He's right, you know." Griffin chimed in. "Do you know how many fights my parents had about me before they got divorced? You already know my past history. But in the end, I know my parents were responsible for all the things they said to each other. No matter how much my dad tried to put the blame on me. It took me years, but I finally stopped blaming myself for the divorce."

When they returned to the Spitz residence and Adam opened the door, Sharon closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She wondered what hell awaited her on the other side of the door...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sharon certainly has amazing big brothers! Which is great because she's gonna need all the support from family she can get. Hope everyone enjoyed reading this chapter! Chapter 14 coming soon!


	14. A Long December

Sharon walked into the house with her brothers. Helen was the first to run over to Sharon and give her a hug.

"Oh, sweetie! I'm so glad to have you back home. We were so worried about you!"

After Helen's hug, hugs from Richard, Josh, David, Lauren, Sara and Lara soon followed.

Richard then walked over to Sharon and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Why don't we go into your mother's office for a minute? I'd like to talk to you alone."

Sharon looked hesitant.

"Don't worry." He said as he cupped her chin into his hand. "Nobody's going to yell. I promise. We're done with all the yelling and vicious words, ok?"

Sharon thought for a minute, then nodded her head.

"Ok." She said. She took off Adam's coat and gave it back to him. Then she took off her own and put it back in the closet. After that, she followed her dad into Helen's office.

Sharon pulled out Helen's chair and sat in it while Richard stood against the desk to talk to his daughter.

"So, listen..." He started out. "I'm really sorry about everything I said. I realize how hurtful it all was. Especially the stuff about Alden. I know he was a decent kid and I'm sure he would've supported you if he were alive."

"He would've."

"You've got to understand how shocking it is for a father to hear that his little girl is pregnant at 17 though. I'm not saying it's an excuse for the things I said. But listen, your mom was 20 and I was 25 when we had Adam. And it was... tough. Money was always tight. I was struggling as a musician and at one point was working 3 jobs just to make ends meet. Your mother was still in school earning her degree and still had to have a part-time job. We were constantly getting into fights because of the stress from our situation. Then you surprised us 3 years later. And I just... I always wanted better for my own kids."

"I understand how hard it must've been. But... you don't regret having me or Adam, right? Even though you didn't plan for either of us?"

Richard smiled and patted Sharon on the head. "No, we don't regret anything. Your mom and I both agree that you and your brothers are the best thing that ever came out of our relationship. Problem is, I don't think we were really ready to be married. But we did it because of family pressure when your mom got pregnant with Adam. That's why the divorce happened. Your mom and I realized we were better off as friends."

"Well, marrying Alden isn't an option for me anyway..." She looked down as she said this.

"I know. And I do feel bad for you and everything you're going through. You're even younger than your mom and I were. And I'm just scared of how your life is going to turn out. I want you to be able to get a good job and have a good life. I was really hoping you would have a career established before you had any kids of your own. But you haven't even graduated high school yet..."

"I know my situation isn't ideal. But I'll be ok. As long as I have support from my family, at least..."

Richard nodded. "You have my support. If you really want to keep the baby, I'll support your decision. After all, it is what your mother and I ended up doing. And we love all 3 of our children. We'll love our grandchild too. Just like you will."

Sharon gave her father a hug before they both left Helen's office. She was glad to now have him on her side too.

Before Sharon went to bed that night, she made a quick stop at the guest room Adam was staying in. The door was open and she saw her big brother lying on the bed with his laptop. She stood at the door.

"Hey, is it ok if I come in?"

Adam looked up from his laptop and smiled at his little sister. "Sure, come on in."

Sharon walked into the room and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Listen, I really appreciate what you did for me today. You know, helping me tell everyone I'm pregnant. So thank you for that."

Adam shook his head. "Don't mention it. I knew how much you needed someone on your side, so I was happy to provide that. Even if I was a little reluctant about getting in the middle at first."

"See, that's the thing. I feel really bad about how it all ended up going south. You were only trying to help me, but dad ended up yelling at you. Over a mistake I made. I'm really sorry I dragged you into my mess."

Adam sat up and put an arm around Sharon. "Hey, stop. You have nothing to be sorry about. If anything, I think I did help soften the blow a little. It could've gone worse. And dad already apologized to me after you ran off."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that. That was another reason I felt the need to get away. I felt really bad for being the cause of that. I guess I just feel like a screw-up all around."

"You're not a screw-up, Sharon. Sure, it was a mistake to have unprotected sex. But everybody makes mistakes. You know that. The important thing is, you're taking responsibility for it now."

"Well, having you by my side definitely meant a lot to me today. I really appreciate how you're always there for me when I need you. And I'm hoping you'll do the same for my child. I know as he or she gets older, we're probably going to get into a fight at some point. Just like I used to with mom. And when that happens, I would like my kid to be able to turn to their cool Uncle Adam for support."

Adam smiled. "Of course. I'll always be there for my niece or nephew. And I'll even teach your kid how to play all the sports his or her athletically challenged mother can't."

"Athletically challenged?"

"It's a politically correct way of saying sports wimp."

"So now you're using PC terms to insult me. This is what college has done for you? I'm not sure how offended I should be..."

Adam shrugged. "There's no reason to be offended. I'm just stating the facts. You're better at writing than I am. So when I have kids, I hope they can turn to their Aunt Sharon for help on their English assignments and tests."

Sharon smiled. "Sure. I think I would enjoy that, actually."

"Good. And to quote the Friends theme song, "I'll be there for you". So don't you worry about a thing, ok?"

"Ok." She said with a smile. "Well, I'm gonna try to sleep now. Good night."

"Night."

When Sharon got to her room, she saw her phone on her bed. Right where she left it. She picked it up and noticed over 100 missed calls, voice messages and texts. These all came from her whole family; as well as Maria, Connor, Alyson, Brock and Dion. Apparently, Helen had called them all looking for Sharon and told them about her running away. So of course they were all wondering where she was and worried about the fact that she wasn't answering them.

She even noticed a few calls and texts from Hannah. Adam had told her because he thought Sharon might've gone over to her house. She wondered if Adam also told her she was pregnant.

Sharon individually texted all her friends back. She let them all know she was home safe now. She explained that she told her family about her pregnancy and it didn't go so well, so she just needed to get away for a bit. She told them the reason she didn't answer is because she forgot to bring her phone with her and apologized for scaring them all. She also promised to never do this kind of thing again. They all understood and were just glad she was ok now.

For Hannah, she just said that she was home safe and forgot her phone and apologized for not answering. She wasn't sure how much Hannah knew.

The next day, Helen kept her word and made some phone calls for Sharon. She found an OB/GYN who was able to see Sharon the following day. Her name was Dr. Hart and she was highly recommended.

Helen went with Sharon to her 1st prenatal visit. Dr. Hart had long, dark brown hair and was in her mid-30s. At first, Sharon was a little concerned about how young she looked, but then remembered Helen telling her about how good she was supposed to be.

Sharon was a bit nervous going into the office since she wasn't sure what to expect. The first thing Dr. Hart did was check Sharon's vitals. Everything looked normal. She asked her a series of questions and then finally did an ultrasound.

While Sharon was lying down on the table, Dr. Hart pulled up her pink and white striped t-shirt and put gel on her stomach. Sharon flinched because of how cold the gel was. But then when the doctor placed the wand over it, she was immediately fascinated by the image that appeared on the screen in front of her. The doctor pointed out the head, arms, legs and then showed her the heartbeat. The heartbeat was going strong and the baby was moving around. Sharon couldn't believe it. All of this was really going on inside of her! Dr. Hart confirmed what Sharon already knew. She was 18 weeks along in her pregnancy.

"Can you tell me if I'm having a boy or girl yet?"

"I'll be able to in another 2 weeks. We'll book you an appointment for then. You're still in high school, right?"

"Yeah..." She took a deep breath and wondered how much Dr. Hart was judging her for being a pregnant teenager.

"Have you been participating in gym class?"

Sharon thought about this. She'd been trying to come up with different excuses to get out of gym. Saying she had her period, a headache, hurt her ankle. But other times, she would just take part and hope nothing happened.

"Sometimes, yeah."

"You can do some light exercise such as yoga, swimming or walking. But I don't want you playing any contact sports. You're in your 2nd trimester now, so you really need to start protecting your stomach. I'm gonna write you a note to give to your gym teacher."

Sharon wasn't too upset about this. She always hated gym and any physical activity Sharon would be interested in doing was apparently ok. She was just worried her classmates would get suspicious about her not participating in gym for so long. Even though her family now knew about her pregnancy, she still wanted to try to keep it under wraps at school for as long as possible. Though she knew that was going to get harder and harder with each passing day of her pregnancy. Still, the last thing she wanted was to be the subject of gossip.

Dr. Hart cleaned the gel off of Sharon and pulled her shirt back down. Sharon then sat up on the table to continue talking with her doctor.

"You also must start taking prenatal vitamins. 1 per day."

There it was. Sharon's main concern. She remembered her mother telling her about this.

"Have I done any harm to my baby by not taking them this whole time?"

"Well, everything looks good. But just take them from now on. Better late than never."

Sharon nodded.

"Oh and based on your ultrasound and all the information you gave me about your last menstrual period and date of conception, your estimated due date is May 27th."

Sharon couldn't help but smile at hearing this. That was literally only 5 months away! She couldn't believe it. This all felt so real now...

At the end of Sharon's appointment, Dr. Hart gave her 2 pictures from the sonogram she had printed out. Sharon and Helen both spent some time admiring the baby in the photos. Helen asked Sharon how she was feeling as they left the office.

"I'm actually really excited! I mean, I know this really isn't ideal..."

Helen nodded. "I get it. It is exciting to hear all about this little life that's growing inside you. And actually seeing it on screen is really quite amazing. It was pretty exciting for me to see my 1st grandchild on that screen too. And look at these pictures! To be honest, I think it'll be nice to have a baby around the house again. But we are going to have to talk about what you're doing next year soon, ok? Like it or not, your plans are going to have to change in some ways."

"Ok." Sharon answered with a sigh. She hadn't thought that far ahead. She was so busy thinking about all the positive changes this baby would bring to her life, she really wasn't focused on how much everything else would change.

She was starting to worry about how it would affect her friendships. Would Maria and Brock still keep in touch with her if they went to New York while she stayed in Elkford? What about Connor and Alyson? Would she lose touch with them? She'd been good about staying in touch with Dion. But next year would be his last year at FIT. What if he decided to move to New York after he graduated while she was still stuck living with her parents? Would she ever see him again? She was starting to get emotional again and felt like crying. She didn't want to think about this anymore...

When Sharon got home, Adam and Josh were waiting for her in the kitchen. They both ran up to her when she walked in.

"There she is!" Josh exclaimed.

"How did it go?" Adam asked.

"It went well." She replied. "The doctor did an ultrasound to show me what my baby looks like. I saw the legs, arms, all of that. And she even gave me pictures!"

Sharon pulled the sonogram pictures out of her purse and handed one to each of her brothers. They both spent a while staring at the photos they were holding while Sharon pointed out all the baby's body parts in them. They were both just as fascinated by the image of her baby as she and Helen were. She then told them all about what she learned during her visit to the OB/GYN.

"I could actually see the baby moving on screen and saw the heartbeat! It was so incredible! Did you know my baby can see light now? And by next week, she or he should be able to hear sound. Oh, and Dr. Hart said my due date is May 27th! Can you believe it? That's literally only 5 months away from now!"

"Wow!" Adam exclaimed.

"So will your baby hear me playing piano starting next week?" Josh asked.

Sharon nodded. "According to Dr. Hart, yes."

"How soon can we find out if we're getting a niece or a nephew?" Adam asked.

"2 more weeks. Oh and when I go back to school next week, I can't participate in gym anymore. I can continue doing yoga. But Dr. Hart says playing any contact sport would be too risky. She gave me a note to get me out of gym."

"Well, looks like you're finally going to get what you've always wanted since junior high." Adam stated.

"What's that?" She asked, curiously.

"An excuse to get out of Winter Games Week. Doesn't that start next week?"

Sharon realized he was right. Winter Games Week was set to start as soon as she returned to school. Now she didn't have to do any of the events. A huge smile spread across her face.

Adam laughed. "I can see how bummed out you are. Looks like you're gonna have to thank my niece or nephew for getting you out of that."

Sharon continued to smile as she put a hand over her stomach and looked down at it. "Thank you!" She whispered to her unborn baby.

Adam laughed again and then left to go see Hannah. Josh stayed in the kitchen with Sharon.

"Look, Sharon." He started out. "I know it's not good that you're pregnant at your age. But is it bad that I'm actually excited about being an uncle?"

Sharon smiled at her little brother. "No, not at all. And you're gonna be a great uncle too. This kid is really lucky. Even though he or she will never know their father, the rest of the family will be amazing."

"Can I teach my nephew or niece how to play piano when they're old enough?"

"Of course. Who knows? Maybe we'll have another musical prodigy in the family!" She said as she playfully punched Josh's shoulder.

Between Josh, her dad and Alden, she did hope her little one inherited some musical talent. As well as Alden and Adam's athletic skills. Just so her child didn't have to suffer the same humiliation she did in gym class. But it looked like she wouldn't have to worry about suffering this kind of humiliation herself for the remainder of her pregnancy!

The day after that, Sharon had to do something she had been dreading doing. Telling Alden's family. Helen had offered to go with Sharon and she accepted her mother's offer. Helen even called the Jones family up herself and asked them all to meet up with her and Sharon. She said they had important news regarding Alden.

As Sharon and Helen approached the door of the Jones residence, Sharon was shaking. This was actually scarier than telling her own family. Helen gave her a hug before they rang the bell.

"Don't worry, sweetie. It'll be ok. We'll tell them together."

When they got in, Sharon and Helen sat across from Alden's parents and sisters in the living room. Sharon felt uneasy being there. Not just because of what she was about to tell them, but also because this is where she was when they had confirmed Alden's death for her. So many painful memories.

Helen squeezed Sharon's hand, as she struggled to find the words to say what she needed to say.

"So... there really is no easy way to say this. The last night that Alden and I were together... he got me pregnant. I'm actually 18 weeks along now and I'm going to keep the baby. I just thought you all deserved to know and I would like each one of you to be involved in this child's life if you want to be." She put her hand over her stomach and closed her eyes. Then slowly opened them to see their reactions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now the Jones family knows too! It was awkward, but Sharon finally got telling them out of the way! Now how are they going to react? Keep reading to find out! As well as how Sharon adjusts to going back to school after the Christmas break. At least she no longer has to participate in her least favorite class!


	15. Tell It To My Heart

Lily, Violet and Daisy all looked shocked. Mrs. Jones looked like she wanted to cry and Mr. Jones didn't really have much of an expression at all. After a few minutes of silence, they talked it out. Once they all accepted this news, they were actually happy to find out they were going to be grandparents and aunts. Even though they had lost Alden, they were happy that a part of him was still going to live on. And they were so glad Sharon wanted them in the baby's life.

Helen then passed around the sonogram pictures. They were in awe. Sharon had agreed to keep them posted about all updates regarding the baby. She told them she'd find out the sex of her baby in 2 weeks and promised to let them know right away.

Sharon was very surprised at how happy Alden's parents were about finding out that their teenage son had gotten a girl pregnant. But she guessed maybe losing their only son might've given them a different perspective on the situation. Because now they were going to have a grandchild to remember him by. Had he lived, she wasn't so sure they'd be this thrilled about it.

The next day, Lauren took Sharon to the mall to go shopping for some cute maternity clothes. She was a little bit worried about running into kids from school there. After all, it was still the week of Christmas break. So all teenagers were off from school. But luckily, she didn't see anyone she knew.

When she got home, she put on the maternity jeans and light blue baby doll top Lauren had just bought her. The top wasn't so bad. It was a bit loose, but that was the style now anyway. Plus, it helped cover up her stomach. The jeans were a little big though. It was annoying because she was at that point where she was getting too big to fit into the clothes she owned, but still not quite big enough for maternity wear yet. However, she knew that might change in another week or so. At least now she had a winter coat that fit and would actually zip up all the way.

When Sharon got her new clothes on, she heard on knock on her bedroom door and opened it. It was Connor.

"Hey Connor. What's up?"

"Not much. Adam let me in." He said as he walked into her room. "Just thought I'd stop by to see how you're doing. You texted something about having pictures from the ultrasound the other day?"

"Oh yeah." Sharon plucked the sonogram photos off her desk and handed them to Connor.

"Oh, wow..." He said softly, as he could make out the image of a baby. "This really is pretty cool."

"I know! Can you believe this is what's happening inside my belly now?" She placed a hand over her stomach. "There's another person forming in here!"

"Is it weird to think about that?"

"A little. But it's still pretty cool! I'm excited."

She then showed Connor all the baby's body parts just like she did with her brothers and explained that she would know the sex in 2 weeks. She also went over how the baby can now see light and would hear sound soon. And talked about how incredible it was to see the baby's heartbeat and movement on screen while the ultrasound was being done. As well as her estimated due date.

"I have to say, this is all really fascinating to me as a science nerd. And as someone who's never gonna go through this, being a guy and all. Though I can't say I'm too disappointed about that. I really don't envy the way you were puking your guts out everyday. How are you feeling, by the way?"

"Not too bad lately. I'm no longer getting morning sickness. That was mostly a first trimester thing. But I'm still super emotional and always hungry. Tired a lot. And it's getting harder to fit into my clothes. Luckily, Lauren got me some cute maternity stuff to wear."

"How are you feeling knowing your entire life is going to change though? I mean, I get that you're excited about becoming a mom. But you had all these plans for after high school. I know it wasn't exactly going to be how you pictured it anyway. You know, because you thought Alden would be starting college with you. But are you even going to college now?"

"I don't know. I haven't really thought that far ahead. I would like to try. I do still want to be a vet."

"Well, I hope it does happen for you somehow. Good for you for not giving up on your dream..." He then looked down and looked sad. She knew exactly what it was about.

"So Connor..." Sharon started out. "Did you really come over here just to look at sonogram pictures and hear all about my pregnancy? Or are you avoiding something? Or should I say someone?"

"Have you spoken to Alyson lately?"

"She's only been calling me up every single night to cry about how much she misses you. She said you didn't even want spend Christmas with her. That's so not like you..."

Connor sighed. "I know. And I do feel bad about all this, but I just can't face her right now."

"She did tell me the reason you're mad at her, you know. And look, I know Banting has been your dream school since forever. But Alyson's lifelong dream is to play in a rock band. Can't you guys work something out? I mean, relationships are all about compromise."

"I understand that. And I'm not trying to stand in the way of Alyson's dream. What I'm upset about is the fact that she applied to Julliard without even telling me until she was told she was likely to get in. And then she said she's gonna go there instead of Banting if they accept her. That's why I'm mad."

"But still, not even seeing her on Christmas? That's kind of cold..."

"You don't get it. We made all these plans for next year and even started looking into apartments near Banting so we could move in together. And now she's changing the plan on me! You and Alden had plans to go to New York together next year, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well, how would you have felt if he were alive and suddenly told you he wanted to go to school in California? That he applied to a university there without even talking to you and was probably going to get in and would accept if he did. You were all set to go to New York and even spent some time looking for apartments online with him. Just for him to spring on you that he's probably gonna be going to school on the opposite side of the world next year! Wouldn't you have been mad if he did all that?"

Sharon thought about it for a minute. "It would've bothered me, yes. But I wouldn't be avoiding him like this. I would try to talk it out." She then put an arm around Connor's shoulder. "Go over to Alyson's house and talk to her right now. Tell her everything you just told me."

"Should I apologize for ditching her on Christmas?"

Sharon nodded. "That would be a good start, yes. And you should go get her gift from your house. What are you giving her by the way?"

Connor took a deep breath. "If I tell you, do you promise not to freak out?"

"I'm 17 and pregnant with my late boyfriend's baby. I think I'm maxed out on my freak out capacity for the year."

"I got her a ring."

"Aw, that's so sweet! I know people say jewelry is cliche, but trust me..."

"Not just any kind of ring. An engagement ring..."

"WHAT?" Sharon shouted.

"I thought you said you weren't gonna freak out!"

"I'm not... freaking out." She said, shifting into a calmer tone. "I'm just... surprised. You were gonna ask Alyson to marry you?"

"Yeah..." He replied wistfully.

"I know this might sound hypocritical coming from a girl who's gonna give birth before graduation, but are you sure you guys are ready to be married? I mean neither of you are even 18 yet. And I know you're both madly in love. But getting engaged right now seems a little nuts. I mean, unless Alyson's pregnant too.."

Then Sharon gasped. "She's not, is she? I mean, she never said anything to me about..."

"No, she's not." Connor cut her off. "Trust me, we've both been very careful to make sure we don't have any accidents."

"Good." Sharon sighed in relief. "Because as excited as I am, it's really not something I'd recommend. At least not until you're both a little older."

"Look, I know we're both very young. But Alyson's the love of my life. We will both be 18 soon and I'm sure she's the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. And it's not like we have to get married right away. It's just a promise that we will one day. We can be engaged for a long time."

"Well, I guess..."

"But how was I supposed to go through with proposing to her on Christmas Eve after she had just told me she might be in New York for the majority of the next 4 years? How can we be engaged that way? We'll be lucky if our relationship survives the whole long distance thing..."

"Look, talk to Alyson about this. Go over to her place right now. But maybe hold off on popping the question for now. You obviously have some issues you need to work out first."

"Right." Connor headed out the door. "Thanks Sharon."

"Anytime."

The next day, Sharon invited Maria and Alyson to sleepover that night. It had been a while since the 3 of them had a girls night and she knew they probably wouldn't be getting very many more soon. Plus, she was hoping Alyson would have some good news for her regarding how things went with Connor.

Of course, Sharon started off telling Maria and Alyson all about the sonogram and handed each of them a picture. She went over all the details of her prenatal visit and the photos with them.

"Wow! I can't believe that's your baby, Sharon..." Alyson stated.

"Hi there, little cutie! I can't wait until you're born! Your Auntie Maria is gonna spoil you!" Maria said in a baby voice to the picture she was holding, as she stroked the image of the baby with her finger.

Sharon giggled. "Maria, I've never seen you like this before. I think you're actually more excited about my baby than I am."

"Well, babies are cute!" The raven-haired teen responded. "Besides, you said I'm gonna be an honorary aunt to your baby. So this is technically my nephew or niece."

"That's true." Sharon replied. "I consider you both aunts to my baby." She smiled as she eyed both Maria and Alyson. "He or she will have a lot of aunts and uncles. I just wish the father could be there too..."

Maria and Alyson both hugged Sharon.

"Come on, I brought over 13 Going On 30. Let's watch it!" Alyson declared.

"Ok." Sharon replied with a small smile.

Right in the middle of the movie, Alyson broke down crying. Sharon paused it. Looks like she wasn't the only one getting emotional in the middle of movies lately!

"Are you ok?" The blonde teen asked her brunette friend.

Alyson shook her head no.

"This is about Connor, isn't it?"

Alyson nodded. "We used to watch this together all the time. He didn't really like it that much. But he'd watch it just for me because he knew I did."

"He did come over here yesterday afternoon." Sharon admitted. "And he said he was gonna go over to your house to talk to you. What happened?"

"We... decided to take a break."

"You mean, you guys broke up?" Maria asked.

"No, we're just on a break."

"What kind of break? The kind where you both can see other people? Or just where you both take time to think about things?" Sharon inquired.

"The latter. We never agreed to see anyone else."

"Ok, well that's not so bad. I mean, yeah. It does suck. But it's not as final as a break up." Sharon hugged Alyson and stroked her light brown hair.

"Was this all because of your decision to go to Julliard instead of Banting?" Maria asked the sobbing teen.

"It was more than that." Alyson sniffled. "He said I'm not the same girl he fell in love with 3 years ago."

"Well, of course you're not. It's called growing up. None of us are the same people we were in 9th grade." Maria replied. "Do you want me to talk to Connor for you?"

"No, we actually mutually agreed to this. We've been together for almost all of high school and just never thought about what the end of high school would mean for us as a couple. What if our relationship just wasn't meant to last past that?"

Sharon tried to put a more positive spin on things. "When Alden and I broke up in the 9th grade, I didn't think there was any hope of us getting back together. But we did. And while it did tragically end with Alden's death, we still had 2 amazing years together which I'll never forget. And we actually broke up. You guys are just on a break. I believe you'll both find your way back to each other. Maybe the break will actually be good for you."

"Thanks Sharon." Alyson sniffled.

"No problem."

Pretty soon, 2005 ended and it became 2006. It was hard to believe she was starting this year without Alden. She was never gonna forget 2005, that's for sure. The year she lost her virginity, got pregnant and lost her boyfriend forever. That had to be some kind of record! 

Sharon returned to school after New Year's Day. Though she had already been going to school pregnant for months, it felt different this time. Maybe because she now knew what her baby looked like inside her. Or because her family knew now. Of course, it also could've been that doctor's note buried deep in her backpack...

She knew she had to give her gym teacher this note before the start of gym that day so that he would know she couldn't take part in any of the events for Winter Games Week. The note did explain that she was pregnant and she wasn't sure how comfortable she was with him having this information about her. But then she told herself this wasn't the same as her peers knowing and a teacher wasn't likely to share this kind of thing with anyone else.

She decided to hand the note in first thing in the morning, before any of her classes started. Her teacher read it and nodded. He told her he was gonna make a copy of it for his records in the office and told her to see him at the end of the day for the original note back.

Sharon sat in the bleachers and watched as her classmates played hockey. Maria's team was in the lead. No surprise there. Connor was sitting next to Sharon, filming the whole game on camera. Since he was part of the AV Club, he usually got out of the 1st and last day of Winter Games Week to film the events for the video yearbook. He and Sharon talked while watching the game.

"Maria's doing awesome!" Connor declared.

"Yeah and I'm sure it'll be a lot easier for them to win without me holding them back this year!" Sharon responded.

They both laughed.

"So..." Sharon started out. "Alyson told me what happened with you guys. I'm really sorry."

"Thanks."

"Not to pry too much, but what exactly did you mean when you told her she wasn't the same girl you fell in love with? I mean her personality is basically the same. It's just that she's in a rock band now."

"What I meant is that I thought we were headed down similar paths in life. Turns out we're not. We both wanted to pursue science-oriented careers. I thought we had that in common. But now she wants to do music instead. And in a school that's far away from my school, no less."

"So the issue is really that you feel you're both headed in different directions?"

"Maybe. Look Sharon, I really don't want to talk about this right now. Besides, I'm sure you have your own problems to worry about. And they're bigger than this."

"You're right. We don't have to talk about this anymore. We'll just watch the game and cheer our friends on."

"Sounds good to me."

Later that day, Sharon was approached by Nina as she was headed to lunch.

"Where were you during the winter events today, Braceface? I missed kicking your ass!"

"Oh..." Sharon had to come up with an excuse fast. "My ankle is still hurting. You know, the one I injured by tripping over my own feet before school a couple of weeks ago? I'm so clumsy! So it looks like I'm gonna be out of gym for a while."

Nina scoffed. "Yeah right. I don't buy that ankle story for a minute. Everybody knows how much you hate sports. And winter sports are your least favorite of all. I'll bet anything you're faking it. And I'll prove it too! Which ankle was it again?"

"Um... my left ankle."

"Right. I'll be watching you, Braceface! I just know you're gonna slip up at some point." Nina walked away with her signature evil laugh.

Sharon gulped and hoped Nina wasn't going to get close to discovering the real reason she wasn't participating in gym.

Sharon got her note back at the end of the day and buried it way down in her backpack where no one else could see it. When she got to school the next morning, she felt like everyone was staring at her. She also noticed a lot of pointing and whispering. Was she just being paranoid? Then she noticed a lot of kids were looking directly at her stomach, which she attempted to hide with a flowy white maternity top.

"They're probably just noticing that I'm gaining weight." She thought. "And I'm sure Nina was all too eager to point it out as well."

As she opened up her locker, Jessica approached her. She was dressed in her cheerleader uniform and had her strawberry blonde hair tied up in a high ponytail with a yellow bow to match the uniform.

"Hey Sharon." She said.

"Hey Jess." Sharon replied. "What's up?"

"Nothing much. So... is it true?"

"Is what true?"

"Is there really a bun baking in your oven right now?"

Sharon froze in her tracks. "Who told you that?"

Jessica sighed. "Hate to tell you this girl, but your doctor's note has gone viral."

"WHAT?"

"Yeah, it's up on the school website. And it gets worse. People are passing it around through email and social media."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So despite Sharon's attempts to keep her pregnancy under wraps at school, her secret is out now. Who would've done this to Sharon? Any guesses? And how will this affect her school life and interaction with her peers (save for her friends who already knew)? Keep reading!
> 
> To all Connor/Alyson fans, sorry their relationship is a bit turbulent right now. But they will work things out. I promise! I strongly support this couple myself.
> 
> As you may have noticed, I've been trying to update on a weekly basis. But with next weekend being Palm Sunday and the following weekend being Easter, chapter 16 may be delayed. I'll try, but I'm probably gonna be busy with family. Also probably gonna lose writing/editing time on Holy Thursday and Good Friday, which might contribute to the delays. But I promise to have chapter 16 out no later than the beginning of May! Hope you guys understand if I can't update for a couple of weeks.
> 
> I do hope all my wonderful readers enjoyed this chapter! Any criticism or praise is welcome. Take care!


	16. Don't Dream It's Over

Sharon felt her chest tighten. There was no way this could be happening. This meant that not only did the whole school know she was pregnant, but a lot of student's parents were bound to find out too. As well as other teachers.

"How could this have happened?" Sharon asked in a small voice, as she sunk down from her locker to the floor. She just wanted to disappear. To become invisible. She wanted the other students to stop staring at her. "I have the note at home right now. It's been on the desk in my bedroom, so it's not like anyone stole it. The only people who could possibly have access to it right now are my family. And nobody in my family would ever do that to me."

"Have you brought it to school at all?"

"Yeah, yesterday. But I never showed it to any students."

"Well, did you leave the note lying around somewhere at any point? Or give it to a teacher who might've? I mean, I highly doubt a teacher would've done this..."

Sharon thought about Jessica's question. She only gave it to the gym teacher. But he did say he was gonna take it to the main office and make a copy. Did he leave it lying around in there? Could somebody have gotten a hold of her note in the office?

"It was taken to the main office and might've been kept in there for a while. I really don't know for sure though."

"Well, there you go. Everybody went in that office to get their class schedules for the new semester yesterday morning. Not to mention, a lot of students stopped by there to drop or transfer out of classes throughout the day. And there's those who had to have mistakes fixed on their schedules, of course. And, there's also..."

"Ok, I get it!" Sharon cut Jessica off. "A lot of people were in and out of the main office yesterday." Sharon's brain was now swarming with possibilities. If it was just lying around in some random spot, who could've seen it? Possibly everyone. But how were they able to take it and scan it onto the school website? Weren't any staff members around to prevent this kind of thing from happening?

"You know there isn't always staff in there at all times." Jessica said, as if reading Sharon's mind. "I went in there yesterday because somebody screwed up and gave me lunch at 8:00 in the morning. And the class that was meant to be my homeroom was scheduled as the last class of the day. Nobody was there when I went in and I had to wait almost 30 minutes just to speak to somebody about fixing my schedule. Mr. Melamud almost gave me a detention for missing his class until I explained my situation to him."

Jessica sighed and rolled her eyes. Clearly exasperated by the whole ordeal.

"Wow, that sucks. Sorry to hear. You'd think they'd have a better system by now." Sharon replied sympathetically.

"Yeah, it did suck." Jessica sighed once again. "But I have a feeling your situation sucks even more..."

"And it just got 10 times worse! Who do you think did this?"

Jessica shrugged.

Then a thought occurred to Sharon.

"Of course! It was Nina! Had to be! She approached me yesterday and said she was gonna find out the real reason I'm not taking part in Winter Games Week this year. She must've gone snooping in the office to try to find evidence. Nina's the only one here who hates me enough to do something like this."

"I don't know." Jessica replied with doubt in her voice. "Don't get me wrong, this is totally the kind of thing Nina would do. You're right about that. But I don't think Nina would've just posted it everywhere like this. She would've approached you first. Let you know she had this information about you and kept taunting you until finally putting it up just when you think she's forgotten all about it. You know how much Nina likes to see you squirm. Plus, I think she'd be over here gloating by now if it were her."

"Then who else could've done it?"

"I'll tell you what. I have cheerleading practice this morning. Nina managed to pull some strings and get us all out of our morning classes. Says our form needs major work. But I think she just wants to take advantage of having an empty gym since that class is being held outside for the winter games this week. But anyway, I'll talk to the girls on the squad and see if they know anything."

"Thanks, Jess."

"No problem. And good luck. I have a feeling you're gonna need it..." She eyed Sharon's stomach right before walking off.

Sharon stayed down on the floor, still noting all the kids who were looking and pointing at her. She felt her heartbeat racing. How was she ever going to survive this? While she was certainly no stranger to public humiliation, she at least always had her "good girl" image to fall back on. Looks like that was just one more thing she was gonna have to say goodbye to.

She knew she was eventually gonna be showing too much to hide it, but still. She was hoping to keep it a secret at school for at least a few more weeks. On some level, she even kinda thought maybe she could get through the rest of her pregnancy without saying anything and just let everyone believe she was simply gaining weight. As unrealistic as that plan was. But it was out of her hands now.

Lost in her own thoughts, she barely noticed her friends racing towards her. She kept her head down as she saw the feet of Maria, Brock, Connor and Alyson. Maria held out her hand to help Sharon up.

"Sharon!" She exclaimed. "Something happened that you're really not going to like!"

"If it's about my doctor's note, Jessica already told me. School website, emails, social media. I mean, unless you have more bad news for me. I can't imagine it getting too much worse...."

"Nope, that was it. Sorry Spitz." Brock said.

"So this is really happening." She said as a statement rather than question. "The entire school knows I'm pregnant. Or at least they will if they don't already."

"Well, maybe there's a bright side to this." Maria stated.

"Really? Care to explain what that could be?"

"Well, you were worrying about what everyone would say once you get huge. At least it's out of the way now. They all found out at once."

"Yeah, so I have to be the subject of gossip and ridicule for 4 months instead of just 2. I really didn't want this getting out before it had to." Sharon said as she buried her face in her hands.

"Well, I don't really think it was gonna be much longer before your secret was figured out anyway." Alyson responded. "Please don't take what I'm about to say the wrong way, Sharon. But you are showing. Even if it's not super obvious to anyone who isn't looking for it. I'd say you probably only have another week or 2 at most before it is. From what I remember with my cousin, the 2nd trimester is when it really becomes noticeable. You're almost 20 weeks along now, so you're almost halfway through your pregnancy."

Sharon sighed as she looked down at the tiny bump on her belly. "How am I going to survive the rest of this day? Let alone the next 4 months. I'm already being talked about. I can just tell. All the staring and pointing and whispering. I just can't take it!" Sharon started crying. "I can only imagine what kind of horrible things are being said about me! And I haven't even heard any of it yet..."

Maria put an arm around Sharon. She had an idea.

"You, Alyson and Brock have English with Mrs. Clark for home room today. And Connor and I have classes nearby. Why don't we all walk with you to your first class? There is safety in numbers, you know."

Sharon stopped crying and sniffled a little. "Ok. Thanks guys."

Her friends all walked with her. She still couldn't believe how amazing her friends had been throughout this entire experience. She knew she was truly lucky.

Even Connor and Alyson were putting their differences aside to be there for Sharon. They were both walking right next to each other without a hint of animosity. This was nice to see. Hopefully, it meant they wouldn't be on a break for too much longer. She really wanted them to work things out and she had faith that they would. If only she was as optimistic about her own problems right now....

She continued to walk down the halls with her 4 best friends. Anytime somebody started to look at Sharon, Maria would put her arms around her and stare daggers right back at the person. This was enough to make anyone back off. Everyone knew better than to mess with Maria Wong. She was tiny, but tough. And very protective of her best friend right now. She continued to walk with her arms around Sharon, like a mama bear protecting her baby cub.

Looks like Sharon wasn't the only one with maternal instincts. And Maria wasn't even pregnant. But it did show that Sharon was right about how she would be a great mom someday. She was gonna have to let her best friend know this. But it would have to wait until later.

Just then, the group was approached by Nina. Like Jessica, she was dressed in her cheerleading uniform. Nina walked right up to Sharon, with a smirk on her face.

"Well, well Braceface. Looks like we finally know the real reason you've been MIA from gym. Gotta say, I never thought you were all that smart. But I did think that even you knew better than to get pregnant while still in high school. How does it feel to know you're throwing your life away?"

Sharon decided to respond. "For your information Nina, I'm actually excited. I'm looking forward to being a mom."

"Really? Well, I guess that's what happens when you have nothing else in your life to look forward to. I mean, at least Alden would've been stuck with you and the kid if he were still alive. But I think it's safe to say any chance of you ever finding another man is all over now. Do you really think any guy is going to want to be involved with a woman who has a child that isn't his? Not to mention you'll probably never get your figure back again after giving birth. You'll have stretch marks all over."

Sharon looked upset again. Mainly because Nina brought up Alden and how he would've been stuck with her. But she knew Alden would've never felt like he was stuck. He loved Sharon and would've loved their baby too. Connor noticed and decided to speak up.

"Nina, why don't you just go to your homeroom? The bell is about to ring. You don't want to be late for your first class, do you?"

"Well, at least my period won't be late. You'd know how that feels, wouldn't you, Braceface? Besides, I actually have cheer practice this morning. And since I'm team captain, it really doesn't matter how late I am. See you around, mama!" Nina patted Sharon's stomach right before walking off.

Sharon was ready to run after Nina and fight her until Maria held her back. Brock helped his girlfriend get their blonde friend under control.

"Take it easy, Spitz." Brock coaxed her. "Nina's a bitch. But she's not worth jeopardizing the safety of your baby."

"She did it!" Sharon exclaimed. "She's the one who took my doctor's note and scanned it on to the school website for everyone to see! I just know it! And then she must've passed it to her friends and told them to share it online. She was threatening me yesterday and said she'd find proof that I didn't really hurt my ankle like I said I did. Alyson, you know Nina well. Isn't this the kind of thing she would do?"

"It is..." Alyson said hesitantly. "But..."

"What? You're telling me you really don't think she did it?"

"Well... I feel like you would've known it was her before she even talked to you if she had. I mean, I think she would've let you know she had this on you before even putting it out there. You know Nina. She'd want to make you sweat for as long as she possibly could."

"Well then who could've done it?"

Alyson shrugged.

Pretty soon, Sharon was in her English class. This was her absolute favorite subject. And yet, she was totally unable to concentrate. She felt like she was gonna burst into tears any minute. Between pregnancy hormones, all the attention she was receiving thanks to her doctor's note being made public and just the general concerns she constantly had about how this baby was going to change her life... well... saying she was a mess would be an understatement.

At the end of class, Mrs. Clark called Sharon over to speak with her before she left.

She smiled sympathetically at Sharon. "Listen Sharon, you've always been one of my best students. And while your grades did start to slip a little early last semester, you managed to pull them back up and are now doing just as well as you always have. I'm actually surprised you managed to do as well as you have with all that's going on in your life this year."

Sharon shuffled uncomfortably while she listened. Mrs. Clark had always been one of Sharon's favorite teachers, but this really wasn't a conversation she was comfortable having. In fact, it was downright embarrassing really. It was just as she had feared. Thanks to whoever published her note for the entire world to see, her teachers now knew about her pregnancy too.

"I know you applied to NYU and I wrote you that recommendation letter to help you get in. Have you heard back from them yet?"

"No, not yet." Sharon said, as she bit her lower lip.

"Well, will you be going next year if they accept you?"

"I... um... I don't know if I can. You see, I'm keeping my baby."

Mrs. Clark nodded. "I understand. But still, I don't think you need to give up on NYU entirely. You should look into deferring for a year. That way you can spend the year getting settled with your baby and then go to NYU the following year. When things are a little more stable. You'll be starting late, but it doesn't mean you can't still succeed."

"But how am I going to manage with a baby in New York all by myself? If I stay here in Elkford, my family can help me out. But in New York, I'd pretty much be on my own. I don't know where my friends will be if I wait a full year to join them over there. I don't know if I'll have anyone to babysit for me while I work or have classes. And I won't be able to afford childcare. It's gonna be hard enough to support my baby here, even with the help of my family."

"Well, there are programs designed to help out girls in your situation. I'll get you some information you can read up on about it. I've helped students out with this before. You're not the first girl in Elkford High to get pregnant. And believe me, you won't be the last. But you're a very smart girl with a bright future ahead of you. A baby isn't gonna change that. So I know you can do anything you set your mind to."

Sharon smiled. It did make her feel better to think she could still continue her education, even if she had to delay it. And maybe she could still achieve her dream of being a vet. If anything, maybe this baby would make her even more motivated to get there. After all, she did want to provide the best possible future for her child. She was gonna need a good job where she could earn a decent living.

"Thank you, Mrs Clark."

"Oh, and you might want to start carrying crackers around with you. That's what got me through my entire 1st trimester."

"Oh, um, I don't think I need to do that anymore. I'm actually in my 2nd trimester now and haven't had morning sickness in weeks. But yeah, the crackers did help when I did."

"I see." Mrs. Clark glanced down at Sharon's stomach. "Actually, you might want to start bringing a pillow for your lower back to school with you soon. You look like you're almost at that point in your pregnancy where you'll start having back pains."

Great. Something else to look forward to.

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

"And I'm here anytime you need to talk, ok? Don't be afraid to come to me."

Sharon nodded and smiled. "Thank you." She said as she walked off to her next class.

While the conversation she just had with Mrs. Clark did give her hope, the rest of the day at school was still hell.

At least she knew she still had Tracy's respect. Sharon had overheard a group of freshmen girls talking about how she shouldn't be allowed to continue attending Elkford High while pregnant and that she was a terrible role model for the younger students. Tracy jumped to Sharon's defense and said she was a hell of a lot nicer than any of them were. Which actually makes her a great role model. Tracy really did remind Sharon of a younger version of herself.

Sharon's friends had tried to arrange it so that at least 1 of them could be with her at all times to help her fend off other students. But that wasn't always workable. At one point when Sharon was at her locker by herself, 3 sophomore girls walked by. Sharon didn't really know them, but did know of them. They were basically Nina and her posse 2 years ago. The blonde haired, blue-eyed ringleader of the clique called Sharon a slut while the other 2 giggled and kept walking.

There it was. She may have been called a lot of names throughout her life (and Nina didn't exactly help), but nobody had ever called her a slut. Until now. She couldn't believe it. She made one mistake. Just one mistake. And now her entire reputation was destroyed.

Finally, the end of the school day approached. Relieved to see the end of what felt like the longest school day of her life, she headed towards her locker to retrieve her stuff. When she got to her locker, she saw Jessica over there waiting for her.

"Sharon!" Jessica exclaimed. "I think I know who's responsible for your note going viral."

"Oh yeah, who? I'd love to know who was so hellbent on kicking me when I was already down. I mean, what could I have possibly done to anyone here to make them hate me so much that..."

"Ha! You really don't remember?" Sharon knew who's voice that was...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a couple of weeks since my last update, but hopefully this chapter was worth the wait! Even if it's yet another cliffhanger! lol Who do you think will be revealed to be responsible for Sharon's note being passed around? Read the next chapter to find out! And the wait for chapter 17 shouldn't be as long. I'll also start to move a little further along with Sharon's pregnancy soon (and will soon reveal the gender of the baby!). I know it feels like she's been in her 5th month forever.


	17. It's All Coming Back To Me Now

Sharon turned around and saw a girl with a horrible fake tan and shoulder-length blonde hair that was tied in 2 pigtails. She wore a strapless green crop top and jeans that were so low, you knew her ass was gonna be exposed to the entire world if she bent over. She stood with a smirk on her face and her hand leaning against the locker next to Sharon's.

"Tess?" Sharon's voice squeaked.

"The one and only." Tess replied smugly.

"You're the one who made my doctor's note public... why?" Was all Sharon could ask.

Tess scoffed. "Bitch please! You really don't remember what happened freshmen year? That whole letter thing?"

Sharon froze as Tess's words rung in her head. She knew exactly what Tess was talking about. It was the email Sharon had written to Alden about how she didn't like the way he was hanging out with Tess all the time, who had clearly wanted to steal him away from Sharon. It was just supposed to be the kind of thing you would put in your diary. She never meant for anyone to see it. But at that time, she had been cursed with braces that interfered with electronic devices. Her braces had caused her computer to go crazy and accidentally post the email she was writing with no intention of sending onto the school website.

Out of frustration, Sharon had trashed both Tess and Brock pretty badly in the email. She then tried to remedy the situation by writing another email on the school website where she trashed herself, but Alden broke up with her anyway. But Alden and Brock both eventually forgave Sharon and the rest is history.

Of course, this all happened 3 years ago. Was Tess seriously still nursing a grudge over it? Of course, it really shouldn't have surprised Sharon that someone could hold a grudge for so long. After all, Nina held a grudge against Sharon for 7 years when she thought Sharon had ripped all the heads off her dolls.

Eventually, she did find out that her cousin Petra was actually the real culprit. When this was discovered, Nina tried to re-friend Sharon. But she was so controlling and tried to monopolize Sharon's time so that she couldn't hang out with her other friends. When Sharon had to ditch Nina at a spa to hang out with Maria, Brock, Connor and Alyson for a movie marathon she was supposed to host, that was the end of their rekindled friendship. Now Nina was holding another grudge against Sharon that had been going on for almost 3 years.

Looks like Tess and Nina had a lot in common. Guess it shouldn't have been a surprise since they were both on the same cheerleading squad. Tess already hated Sharon and Nina would've only made things worse.

"Look" Sharon started explaining. "I'm sorry my letter to Alden got posted on the school website, ok? And I'm sorry for all those nasty things I wrote about you in it. Now that I'm 3 years older, I realize how petty and immature of me it was. I was just feeling insecure about myself at the time and I guess trashing you was a way to try to feel better about myself. But I also never intended to publish that email onto the school website. That part was an accident. It was just something private that was never meant to be sent out. But you taking my doctor's note about my pregnancy and putting it on the school website? You did that on purpose. And I still can't figure out how you did it or even noticed my note out of all the papers that are laying around in there."

"Well, the secretary in that office is actually my mom. Were you aware of that?"

Sharon shook her head. "Can't say I was, no."

Tess went on. "Well, she is. So I went in there during my lunch period to visit her. She had to step out for a bit though and I didn't want to spend all of lunch in there. So I decided to write her a note letting her know I'd be home late after school today instead of waiting to tell her. When I was looking for a piece of paper to write it on, I happened to come across your note. Now I normally don't give a crap about all the paperwork in there. But I happened to catch your name and the word "pregnant" out of the corner of my eye. My interest was piqued, of course."

"Of course." Sharon said as she rolled her eyes.

"So when I saw that you were with child, I knew that this would be the perfect revenge! So I took your note and scanned it onto the school website, using my mom's computer and scanner. I also emailed it to a few people and sent it out on the messenger on MySpace. And it looks like everyone I sent it to has been sharing it as well."

"Why Tess?" Sharon asked once again. "Why did you want revenge so bad over something I did 3 years ago? I mean, Alden dumped me after my letter got published. I got my heart broken! Shouldn't that have been satisfying enough for you?"

Tess scoffed. "Not even close! First of all, Alden ended up taking your sorry ass back anyway. And second, did you know more than half the school took your side?"

Sharon shook her head. "No, I didn't..."

It was true. She really had no idea.

"Well, they did. I was the big, bad, slutty cheerleader who stole the nice guy away from the underdog with braces. Despite the fact that Alden didn't even want to date me after all that! Apparently, me trashing your locker was too extreme for him."

Sharon pointed her finger at Tess. "Hey, that part was your fault! I didn't make you do that. Alden was always the kind of guy who hated drama. That's why he didn't date girls like you and Nina. And it's why my letter ended up costing me my relationship with him. He took me back because he realized how much I matured during our breakup."

"And what about that email you wrote where you trashed yourself? Yeah, Alden told me you were the one behind that. But of course, nobody else in the school believed that. Because who would write those kinds of things about themselves? So again, I got blamed for doing it."

Again, this was all brand new information to Sharon.

"What did you expect me to do about that, Tess? Go around the whole school telling everyone I was the one who wrote all that stuff?"

"Too little, too late!" Tess shouted. "Now I just want you to know how it feels to have your whole reputation ruined the way you ruined mine!"

Sharon knew Tess had a reputation for being the school's biggest slut. But she had no idea that she was the reason for it. Sharon certainly never meant for that to happen. She almost felt bad. At least, she would've if Tess didn't just reveal her pregnancy to the entire school.

Tess continued. "Ever since your letter, I haven't been able to make friends with any girls besides my BFF Liane and Nina. Even with other cheerleaders. They're all too scared I'm gonna steal their boyfriends. And guys with girlfriends won't even look at me because they're afraid I'll destroy their relationships. Thanks to you, everyone thinks I'm a home wrecking whore. But now they all know that you're the real whore."

Sharon folded her arms across her chest and scowled. "Well I hope you enjoy relaxing at home when you're suspended. I'm pretty sure what you did to me counts as cyber bullying. So when I report it..."

"Go ahead and try!" Tess interrupted. "You have no proof! There are no cameras in the main office. And if you say anything, I'll just deny it all. It's your word against mine. My mom is good friends with everyone on staff, so they all adore me. Even the principal. Nobody will believe you if you tell them I did it."

Sharon just stood there in shock. Tess really had succeeded in ruining her reputation. Now all she would be remembered for in high school was wearing braces and getting pregnant. Her chances of being remembered for anything positive were gone. And there was nothing she could do about it.

"Goodbye, whore!" Tess said as she walked off. "Better get used to being called that!"

And Tess was right. For the rest of the week, the words "whore" and "slut" were thrown at Sharon every time she walked down the halls. She never thought she'd miss being called Braceface. But she officially did. At least as Braceface, she was still respected. But now? That was gone too.

It was so unfair since half of the kids calling her these names were sexually active themselves. And even had more experience than Sharon! It's just that she was unlucky enough to get pregnant the 1 time she did have sex.

What was even worse than the nicknames though, were the rumors being spread about her. A lot of her peers didn't realize Alden was the father of her baby because he wasn't alive to confirm it himself. So they had fun guessing "Who's the daddy?" as if she were some promiscuous character on a daytime soap opera. When promiscuous is the last thing she was!

There was even a rumor going around that she did the entire science club and any of them could be the baby's father. And following that rumor was another rumor that Connor was the father of her baby.

Apparently, the news of Connor and Alyson being on a break had spread throughout the school. And other kids were saying it was because Connor cheated on Alyson with Sharon and got her pregnant. That had to be the worst rumor she ever had spread about her in her life! Even worse than all the things Nina had said about her. Luckily, Alyson didn't believe it and knew Sharon would never do that to a friend. Or to any girl who had a boyfriend, really. She just wasn't that kind of girl.

She couldn't go anywhere in the school without being stared at. This was even worse than the time she had to wear headgear for 2 weeks. And at least that didn't last as long. She still had another 21 weeks of her pregnancy left and her stomach was only going to grow bigger. She couldn't imagine how much worse all the staring and pointing would get as she got closer and closer to her due date.

The only silver lining was that her due date was only about a week before her graduation date. That meant that she would (hopefully) never have to see most of these people again after having the baby.

She tried really hard not to let the other students see her cry. But it was so difficult to hold her tears back at times. Damn her pregnancy hormones! And herself, really. For being such a basket case in general.

Even Adam and Josh had gotten the email with Sharon's note, despite not even going to her school.

That weekend, she visited Dion 1 last time before he had to head back to New York for the start of his classes at FIT on Monday. He used to use the Home Ec room at Elkford High as his fashion design studio since nobody had been using it. But now that he was no longer a student there, he was using the basement of his family's house as his studio whenever he was in town visiting.

Sharon told Dion about what happened at school. She was hoping to get some sympathy from him.

"Well, I'll admit that sucks. But you're graduating in 5 months anyway, right?"

"Yeah, but..."

"So just don't let it get to you. Just walk right past anyone who says anything to you."

"It's not even that part that bothers me. I can deal with being called names. I've had that going on for years and am used to it. I can even handle being told I'm throwing my life away and hearing other students say I'm a terrible role model. I've even gotten used to the staring and pointing by now. But what I can't take is all the rumors about me. It's bad enough people think I slept around. Despite the fact that I only had sex once in my entire life. But I can't take the people in that school saying Connor cheated on Alyson with me and they're now on a break because it's Connor's baby I'm carrying. Dion, you know me. I would never, ever do that! Not even in a parallel universe. They're saying things about me that aren't even true! That's what I can't handle."

"Exactly! They're not true. You know it and your friends know it. That's the only thing that should matter to you. Didn't we already have this conversation when you first told me you were pregnant?"

Sharon sighed. "Look maybe this is hard for you to understand because you're a guy. You don't know what it's like to be a girl. Girls are so vicious. And me being pregnant has given them all ammunition! And thanks to Tess spreading my doctor's note through email, parents and teachers are now aware of my pregnancy. Adam graduated when you did and Josh doesn't even go to Elkford High yet. And even they got the email! Mrs. Clark spoke to me about my pregnancy shortly after it was exposed and now even the school guidance counselor is trying to make me schedule an appointment with her. You just don't know what any of this is like."

"I beg to differ." Dion disputed. "I may not be a girl. But that doesn't mean I don't know what it's like to be victim of a vicious rumor or to have people gossip about me."

Sharon looked up at Dion with curiosity and he sighed.

"Look, I think maybe it's time I tell you about what life was like for me before you and I met. I don't like to talk about it because it is rather painful. But I think you need to hear it right now."

Sharon nodded. "Ok, I'm listening."

"Well, I was openly gay by the time you met me. So you already knew my sexual orientation from day 1. But it wasn't always like that for me. There was a time when I was in the closet..."

Sharon nodded her head for him to continue.

"So I always felt like I was different my entire life. But it was only during my 1st year of high school that I finally realized I was gay. I felt ashamed at first. I thought there was something wrong with me. I just wanted to be like every other guy I knew. So I tried to force myself to like girls for about 2 years. I dated a lot of different girls, would kiss them and try to feel something. I even slept with 1 of them, but was thinking about a certain guy I had a crush on the whole time. She was drop dead gorgeous. But I felt nothing for her and didn't enjoy the sex at all. I felt terrible afterwards because I knew I used her just to try and convince myself and everyone else that I was straight. I fell into a deep depression. I just felt so miserable, I could barely get out of bed on most days..."

Sharon noticed the pained look on Dion's face. It was weird. She wasn't used to seeing him all vulnerable like this. He was always so confident and in control. She placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Dion..." She said in almost a whisper. "You don't have to continue. I don't want you to talk about it if it's gonna hurt you. I think I get the message."

"No, I want to talk about it." Dion said, then shook his head. "No, scratch that. I NEED to talk about this."

Sharon nodded her head as she continued to sit on the couch and listen. Dion had done so much for her since the day she met him. The least she could do was listen to him as he told her about this seemingly painful part of his life. After all, what were friends for?

"About a year before you met me, I decided to come out. First it was to my parents. It was a little hard for them to accept it in the beginning, but they eventually did. I realize I'm lucky to have such a supportive family, because not everybody does. Then I told my friends and pretty soon the entire school knew. I was teased mercilessly for it. I was called names I don't even want to repeat because I don't believe they belong in anyone's vocabulary. The guys didn't even want me in the locker room with them because they thought I was gonna watch them while they were changing. As if I was even attracted to those meatheads." Dion rolled his eyes.

Sharon internally laughed at the shade Dion was throwing. She was glad he could still be himself, even when the topic was serious.

"I got roped into sessions with the guidance counselor too. But the worst of all was a rumor going around that I was HIV positive. Just because I'm gay! That had to mean I had HIV, apparently."

Sharon rolled her eyes. "That is absolutely disgusting that they would say that about you. And I bet most of them were at just as much risk for contracting HIV as you. Maybe even more."

"Right? But you know what? It was worth going through all of that just to be out of the closet. I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders and I could finally be myself. I eventually learned to stop caring what my peers thought about me and just walked right past them. I had to for the sake of my sanity. But I knew nothing they said to or about me could be worse than staying in the closet. I probably would've been suicidal if I continued to live that way. That's why I'm all about being yourself now."

"Wow..." Sharon responded in a breathy tone. "I had no idea you had such a dark past. I'm so sorry you had to go through all that."

Dion held up his hand. "It's fine. I'm a completely different person now. In fact, life has been great for me ever since I learned to ignore what my peers were saying about me. And I suggest you do the same."

"The difference between you and me is that your story is actually inspiring. You had to hide who you are for so long. And then one day, you finally had the courage to stop pretending. But me? I never meant to get pregnant. And while I might be excited about it now, having a baby in high school still isn't the kind of thing I would encourage. I just made a mistake and I'm trying to take responsibility for it."

"Well, I think the part about taking responsibility for your mistake could be inspiring. But I think you should really just focus on how you'll feel when you meet your baby for the first time instead of what anyone in school has to say. Just focus on the positive. And if nothing else, I think you can be inspiring for your own child."

"I hope so." Sharon said as she placed a hand on her baby bump. "This baby is already everything to me."

"Now you sound like a mom-to-be. And you've even got that pregnancy glow going on!"

"Really?"

"Yep. And I see you've still managed to be stylish." Dion said as he noted Sharon's black and white floral print maternity dress, gold necklace and flat black boots.

"Lauren took me shopping for maternity clothes after Christmas. I know I'm still not huge, but the time is coming soon. At 20 weeks, I'm officially halfway through my pregnancy."

"I think I'm gonna order a pizza. You want anything?"

Sharon put a hand over her stomach and smiled. "Yeah, the baby's hungry. Can I get pineapple, tomato and mushroom on mine?"

"All on the same slice?" Dion asked as he grimaced.

"I would normally think it's gross too. But for some reason, it sounds absolutely delicious to me right now."

Dion shrugged. "All right. Who am I to get between a pregnant woman and her cravings?"

As they waited for the pizza, Dion showed Sharon sketches of some of the designs he was working on and she showed him the pictures from her ultrasound. She promised to email him as soon as she found out the baby's gender.

On Monday, Helen picked Sharon up early from school for her appointment with Dr. Hart. She was going to find out the sex of the baby today and she couldn't be more excited!

Sharon laid back on the table while Dr. Hart lifted up her mint green maternity top, squirted the cold gel onto her growing belly and moved the wand over it. She turned the sound on and the room was filled with a loud thumping.

"Is that...?" Sharon started to ask.

"That's your baby's heartbeat." Dr. Hart confirmed.

"Wow..." Sharon was awestruck. She couldn't believe that was really how her baby's heart sounded. It was the most beautiful thing she ever heard.

"So we normally wouldn't do an ultrasound so soon after having just done one unless there was something wrong. But since you didn't have your 1st prenatal visit until you were well into your pregnancy..."

Sharon nodded. "I understand."

"You're only going to have 1 more sonogram after this and that will be at 36 weeks. That one will be to check on your baby's growth. Do you want to learn the gender of your baby today?"

Sharon looked at Helen, as if asking her if she should.

"It's up to you, sweetie. I always wanted to know as soon as possible."

Sharon then nodded her head. "Ok, tell me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand you'll have to read the next chapter to find out if it's a boy or a girl (and yes, I already have it planned out)! You can have fun guessing in the meantime! Was anyone surprised Tess was the one behind putting Sharon's doctor's note on the school website? Who knew she was still nursing a grudge over the letter Sharon wrote in Dear Alden? It was still extremely petty of Tess to expose Sharon's pregnancy the way she did though. Hope all my readers enjoyed this chapter! Feel free to let me know what you think of the direction this story is going.


	18. Bitter Sweet Symphony

"Congratulations Sharon! You're having a boy!" Dr. Hart announced.

Sharon put her hands over her mouth. She was almost at a loss for words.

"Mom, did you hear that?" Sharon said in nearly a whisper.

"I sure did, sweetie. That's wonderful! Congratulations!" Helen responded.

She walked over to her daughter and gave her a hug. Sharon was crying. But for the 1st time since Alden's death, she was actually crying because she was happy.

Helen and Sharon both took a few minutes to stare at the image of the little boy on the screen. He was very active in his movement and his heartbeat was strong.

They would've been happy with either gender, of course. But knowing there was a baby boy on the way just felt so incredible!

"Can I get some pictures of my son?" Sharon asked as she wiped her tears of joy away with her hands.

"I'll print out 2 of them for you once again."

"Thank you."

Dr. Hart cleaned the gel off Sharon's stomach as she continued to talk to her.

"So everything is looking good. I know you're a vegetarian, but you must make sure you're getting plenty of iron and protein."

"Oh, don't worry. My mom's got me covered in that department." Sharon responded as she smiled at Helen.

Helen smiled back. "It's true. We went through this when she was anemic a few years ago. I got all kinds of recipes off the internet to make sure she could get all the iron she needed without ever having to touch meat."

Dr. Hart nodded. "Good. Continue to abstain from all caffeine and alcohol. And as we discussed during your last visit, no contact sports."

"Believe me, I don't mind that last part at all! And I've been doing good on everything you said. I'll do anything to keep my baby boy safe and healthy." Sharon said as she caressed her stomach.

"Very good. I'm glad to hear that. Once I give you your sonogram photos, you can book your next prenatal checkup with the receptionist. That'll be another month from now. It'll continue to be that way until you're 28 weeks along. Then we'll bump the visits up to every 2 weeks. And at 36 weeks, you'll have your prenatal visits on a weekly basis."

Once Sharon got into the car with Helen after scheduling her next prenatal appointment, she couldn't help but squeal as she looked at the ultrasound photos. She just couldn't contain her excitement! And she could hardly believe she would have a son in just a few months! She and Helen hugged once again before heading home.

By the time they arrived at the Spitz residence, Josh and the twins were already home from school. They were gathered in the living room, along with Adam and David. Sharon rushed in and did not give anyone a chance to speak. The first thing she did was shout "It's a boy!"

"Really?" Josh asked excitedly. "So I'm getting a nephew?"

"You mean WE'RE getting a nephew?" Adam corrected his little brother as he pointed to himself, Josh and the twins.

"Yes!" Sharon exclaimed. "You're all getting a nephew!" Then she pointed to David. "And you're getting a grandson!"

"That's wonderful news, honey!" David exclaimed.

Sara and Lara high-fived and hugged each other as they shouted "Yes!"

Josh and Adam also hugged each other.

"This is so awesome!" Josh exclaimed.

"It really is!" Adam agreed.

Then every single one of them hugged Sharon. She then passed the sonogram photos around the room. After basking in this joyous news with her family for about an hour, Sharon knew she had more people to spread the good news too.

She spent the next couple of hours emailing, texting and calling her friends and Alden's family members. They were all super excited to hear Sharon was having a boy, of course.

As Sharon looked at the pictures of her unborn boy before going to bed that night, her excitement had turned to sadness. She remembered that Alden wasn't around for her to share this amazing news with. She knew he would've been so happy to hear that their baby was a boy. And he would've even gone to her prenatal visit with her and been there when Dr. Hart announced it. She picked up the picture of him that she kept on the nightstand next to her bed and looked at it.

"Congratulations Alden!" She said as she looked right at him in the photo. "We're having a baby boy!"

She then put the sonogram photos on her nightstand and put the picture frame with Alden on top of them. It made her feel as if he was somehow watching over their baby and keeping him safe. That was a nice feeling that she knew would help her sleep at night.

The next day, Sharon brought the ultrasound pictures to school with her. She figured the whole school already knew she was pregnant anyway. So what did she really have to lose? She showed them to Maria and Brock at lunch. They were each holding a photo.

"Hi there, little boy! Who's such a cute baby? You are! Yes you are!" Brock talked in a baby voice to the picture he was holding.

Sharon laughed. "God, I swear. You 2 really were made for each other!"

"Do you have a name picked out yet?" Maria asked.

"I have some ideas, but haven't really given it that much thought yet. Maybe I'll make a list soon. I feel like I should pick a name I think Alden would've liked. Problem is, I'll never be 100% sure of it since he isn't around for me to ask."

"Oh, I'm sure whatever name you end up picking will be fine." Maria responded.

"Maybe I could be of some assistance." Brock offered. "He was my best friend, after all."

Sharon was about to say something, until a certain redhead walked over to their table and interrupted their conversation.

"Look at you." Nina said. "Sitting over here acting like teen pregnancy is something to be proud of."

"Can we help you, Nina?" Maria asked while glaring at the young redhead.

"No, I'm good. Just wanted to see how Mama over here was doing. I'm sure morning sickness must be oh so brutal."

"Not at all. I feel great, actually." The blonde replied.

"Aren't you scared it's going to hurt when you give birth?" Nina snapped.

"It might hurt. But it'll all be worth it when I hold my baby boy in my arms. I can't wait to meet him!" Sharon gushed.

"Well, I hope you'll also feel it was worth not having a date for the prom. After all, who's gonna want to ask you out when you're carrying someone else's child? And of course, think of how big you're gonna be by then!" Nina laughed as she walked off.

Sharon grumbled. "I hate that the whole school knows I'm pregnant. And I hate Tess for revealing it to everyone!"

"Wasn't Jessica there when Tess admitted to what she did?" Maria asked.

"Yeah..."

"So why don't you see if she can help you report it to the principal? If there's a witness, Tess is less likely to get away with it."

"Hey that's a good idea! Thanks, Maria!"

At the end of the school day, Sharon saw Jessica at her locker and approached her.

"Hey Jessica." Sharon greeted her.

"Oh, hey Sharon..." Jessica greeted back. Sharon noticed she seemed hesitant, but decided to brush it off.

"So I was hoping I could get your help with something. You know about Tess posting my doctor's note all over the internet, right?"

"Yeah, listen Sharon. I'd really love to talk, but I have to get home right away. My mom will kill me if she doesn't see me walking through the door in 5 minutes. Bye!" Jessica ran off.

"Hmm, guess I'll have to talk to her about this another day." Sharon thought and headed home herself.

Later that afternoon, Adam was set to leave to go back to Smithdale for his classes that were starting the day after. Sharon was gonna miss him again, but knew she was gonna have to get used to saying goodbye to loved ones more often. She was talking to him in the guestroom while he packed up.

"Listen Adam. I just want to thank you again for everything you did for me while you were here. Seriously. I don't know how I would've broken the news to the rest of the family if I didn't have you by my side."

"It was no problem. Really. Just do me a favor and try not to fall down so much while you're still pregnant, ok? I don't want anything to happen to my nephew while he's in there."

Sharon reached over to her big brother and was about to give him a playful smack on his arm, when she was taken aback by a strange twitch in her stomach.

"Woah!" She exclaimed as she fell back on the bed.

"Are you ok?" Adam asked his little sister as he ran over to her. His voice was filled with concern.

"Yeah." Sharon responded with a smile on her face. She put a hand over her stomach. "I think your nephew just kicked."

"Really?"

"Yeah, come feel it."

He put his hand on her stomach and she instructed him to keep it there for a few minutes. All of a sudden, he could feel exactly what his sister was talking about.

"Wow!" Adam exclaimed.

"Amazing, right?"

"Yeah."

"Looks like my baby wants to say goodbye to his Uncle Adam. He can hear you if you talk to him now, you know."

Adam kept his hand on Sharon's stomach and then knelt down so it would be easier to talk to the baby.

"Goodbye little nephew! I'll be back to visit again during Spring Break. Keep your mother out of trouble for me in the meantime, ok?"

Sharon and Adam both laughed as they said goodbye to each other.

On the morning of January 17th, Sharon woke up feeling sad once again. She knew it was gonna be tougher than usual to get through school today. That's because today is what would've been Alden's 18th birthday. And it wasn't fair that he wasn't alive to celebrate it. She knew how excited he would've been about becoming a legal adult.

Sharon pulled the sapphire heart necklace Alden got her for her 16th birthday out of her jewelry box and put it on. She put on a dark blue maternity top and maternity jeans to match it. She then examined herself in the mirror.

Her baby bump had gotten bigger. No surprise since she was now in her 6th month and would enter her 3rd trimester in a few more weeks. She held the sapphire pendent in her hand.

"Happy birthday, Alden." She whispered. "I miss you."

When she got to school that morning, she was greeted by Brock at her locker.

"Hey Spitz." He said. "How are you doing?"

Sharon shrugged. "About as well as I can, I guess. You?

"Same." He replied.

Sharon started nervously playing with the necklace. "So you know that today is..."

"Alden's birthday." Brock finished for her. "He would've turned 18 today."

"Yeah..."

"Man, we would've had such an awesome time today. Our whole crew. We would've gone to Life Cycles to hang out and then back to my garage and had a few beers. Although I guess you wouldn't have been able to drink anyway, considering..."

"I know. I'd still be pregnant even if Alden had lived. But it would've been so much easier to get through all of this if I had him here. And he would've been so happy to find out we're having a boy."

"It would've been a nice change for him after growing up with 3 sisters. He'd finally have another male to talk to besides his dad. Although he would've been happy with a girl too. His sisters did train him for raising a girl after all."

"Would've been nice if we one day could've had a girl too. You know, in the distant future that is. But I guess now isn't really the time to think about what could've been. And don't get me wrong, I am happy to know that I'll have a son soon. It's just..."

"I know, Spitz. I know." Brock gave Sharon a hug. Then he continued talking.

"Listen, I have an idea. Meet me here after school."

"Ok."

They both walked off to their homerooms. But Sharon couldn't get to hers without at least 1 student in the hallway calling her a slut. Yeah, that wasn't gonna stop anytime soon. She tried to ignore it like Dion told her to.

Once again, she was having trouble concentrating in class. She really wanted to ask Jessica for help with reporting Tess. But Jessica seemed to be avoiding her. Whenever Sharon approached her, she'd run away and claim she had to be somewhere else. She also hadn't been answering her calls or texts. She couldn't help but wonder what was going on there.

When Sharon went over to her locker at the end of the school day, she saw Brock standing there with Maria, Carmen, Alyson and Connor.

"We're gonna visit the graveyard again." Brock informed her.

Brock and Maria got into Alyson's car, while Sharon and Connor went into Carmen's. Sharon immediately regretted agreeing to go with Carmen because he was a terrible driver. Even worse than Adam when he first started driving. She still wasn't sure how Carmen managed to pass his driver's test while Brock had failed. Sharon was even more scared than she would've been with him driving now that she was with child. She didn't want anything to happen to her baby.

At one point, Connor yelled at Carmen to slow down and reminded him that there was a pregnant woman in the car. It seemed like that might've gotten through to him, because he did slow down from that point on.

When they arrived at the cemetery, they met up with Alyson, Brock and Maria at Alden's grave. They were all bundled up in winter clothes due to how cold it was. They each took turns talking to Alden, telling him what was going on in their lives. Sharon, of course, told him all about their baby boy who was growing inside her. About how their son can now hear sounds and see light. How she felt him kicking last week. And that he was due on May 27th.

Before leaving the cemetery, Sharon pulled Brock and Maria aside.

"Would one of you mind trading places with me? You know I love Carmen, but his driving is... well... you know. And I'm concerned about my baby's safety. Plus, I think his driving actually made my morning sickness come back. I feel nauseous again from the way he was speeding."

"I'll switch with you, Sharon." Maria volunteered. "Carmen won't be so reckless when I'm in the car. Hell, I'll force him to let me drive his car instead if I have to."

"Thank you, Maria."

When Sharon got home that night, she put the ultrasound photos of her sweet baby boy back under Alden's picture frame. She knew that Valentine's Day was coming up next month and that was gonna be another tough day to get through. And it was. But just like Alden's birthday and her own, her incredibly amazing friends were there to help her through it. It would be nice if Jessica would actually speak more than about 5 words to her though.

3 weeks after Valentine's Day, Sharon was now 28 weeks along and officially in her 3rd trimester. She definitely looked pregnant now. This was the point where people probably would've started to figure it out if they didn't already know.

She couldn't help but notice how much her body had changed that morning. Not only was her baby bump now pretty much impossible to hide, but her bellybutton had gone from an innie to an outie. She tried to avoid wearing shirts that were too tight because her bellybutton would stick out otherwise. She couldn't help but wonder if she'd ever be able to wear a crop top or bikini again after she gave birth.

On the other hand, her boobs had gone from a B cup to a C cup. One of the few perks of being pregnant.

She was grateful she'd be able to finish school this year at least. And had even worked out her internship. Georgina, the owner of the vet clinic she had been volunteering at since the beginning of high school, agreed to let her do her internship there. And she could continue working there as long as she didn't have to do too much lifting and bending. She was working the front desk a lot these days anyway.

Sharon had to get through yet another day of being stared at, called names, hearing untrue rumors about her and having someone who she thought was a friend continue to run away from her.

On the plus side, her little boy was kicking up a storm that day. At least she knew he was healthy.

When Sharon left the high school building at the end of the day, Nina approached her.

"Have you picked your prom dress yet, Braceface? Oh, wait. That's right! You're gonna be too pregnant to go to prom. And you won't be able to get a date. Looks like while the rest of us girls are picking out dresses for the prom, you'll be picking out colors for your nursery."

"I still plan on going to prom, Nina. With or without a date."

Nina scoffed. "Please! That might've worked for you freshman year. But don't you think a pregnant senior girl going to the prom all by herself is gonna look just a little pathetic?"

"You know what, Nina?" Sharon yelled. "I don't need this from you right now! I'm already way more stressed than I should be! I have a baby to think about now and I..." Sharon stopped telling Nina off when she was interrupted by a cramp in her stomach.

"Ow!" She groaned in pain. Nina looked confused. When the pain eased up, Sharon tried to continue.

"Why don't you just... ow!" She felt another cramp. Were these contractions? No, they couldn't be! It was way too early.

"Are you in labor?" The redhead asked, right on cue.

"I'm not supposed to be! I'm only 7 months pregnant! Way too soon!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I know. I'm so evil for ending the chapter there! So, what's going on with Sharon? Is she in premature labor or is something else wrong? Stay tuned to find out! And yes, there was a slight jump in time just like I said there would be.


	19. Story Of A Girl

"Oh my God!" Sharon exclaimed, while breathing heavily from the pain her cramps were causing. "What if I'm losing my little boy? I'm worried that something is really wrong!"

Suddenly, Nina pulled Sharon by her arm.

"Ok, get in my car. I'll drive you to the hospital."

Normally, Sharon would've been suspicious of the fact that her worst enemy was actually helping her out. But she was way too scared for her unborn son to think about that right now.

When the 2 teenage girls got to Nina's black Mercedes-Benz, Nina helped Sharon into the backseat. She figured it was better for her to have the extra room. Still breathing hard, Sharon buckled up.

"Oh, try not to give birth in my car." Nina said as the blonde teen was putting on her seat belt. "I really don't want that kind of mess in here. Just cross your legs or something."

"I don't think that's gonna stop the baby from coming, Nina." Sharon informed her.

"Well, just try! I don't know how to deliver a baby!" Nina shrieked as she slammed the backdoor shut and then jumped into the driver's seat.

Sharon couldn't believe it. Was Nina Harper actually panicking? Over her? Was Nina really worried about her? She couldn't help but remember the time when Nina had saved her life during a field trip back in 8th grade. When she, Nina and Maria were paired together for a project. Sharon fell into a river and Nina had pulled her out just in time before the currents pulled her away. But then later, Nina said she was just practicing for a movie character she was auditioning for and that she was really just worried about losing points if a member of their team died.

This made it kind of bizarre to think about the fact that Nina was the reason she was even still alive today. And if she ended up saving her son's life too... well... guess it didn't really matter if it was all just an act. As long as her baby boy would be ok.

Once Nina started driving and Sharon settled into the backseat of the Mercedes, her cramps had subsided. If she was in labor, hopefully this meant she had more time. Still, she was really hoping that wasn't the case. She knew the risks of having a premature baby.

And she was even more frightened that something else could be wrong. During all the research she had done since finding out she was pregnant, she had read up on complications that can occur. And now her brain was just racing with every possible thing that could be going wrong right now.

She knew she should try to calm down, as getting stressed out would help nothing and only aggravate any potential problem that could be occurring. But she couldn't help herself.

When they found parking at the hospital, Nina helped Sharon out of her car. She walked her into the hospital and up to the front desk. The receptionist greeted both girls and asked if she could help them. She was a middle-aged woman with dark hair that was tied back in a ponytail.

"I'm pregnant and I think I'm in labor. But I'm only 28 weeks along, so that's way too early." Sharon explained.

The receptionist handed Sharon some papers with a clipboard and a pen.

"Ok, just fill out some of these forms for me, please. There might be a short wait before we can get you a room. We're very busy."

"Excuse me!" Nina screamed. "My SISTER just said she might be in labor! And you're asking her to fill out all this paperwork? Unless you want her to have her baby right here in the waiting room, I suggest you get her a room NOW! Instead of just sitting on your ass while she suffers from labor pains."

"I'll see what I can do." The receptionist timidly replied as she picked up the phone.

"Oh, and she would like a PRIVATE room! Thank you."

Sharon had to admit, Nina certainly had a way of getting what she wanted done. Within minutes, a nurse in her late 20s with long blonde hair who was dressed in blue scrubs, came by with a wheelchair and helped Sharon into it. She wheeled the teen off to the maternity ward with Nina following behind them.

Once Sharon got into the private room that Nina insisted on, the blonde nurse helped Sharon into the bed and drew the curtains for privacy as she gave her a hospital gown to change into. Once Sharon was out of her regular clothes and into the gown, the nurse assisted her with the paperwork and told her that a doctor would be in shortly to take her to the exam room.

It really was a short wait. About 5 minutes at most. Sharon wasn't sure how exactly Nina managed to get the entire hospital staff to respond so quickly just by throwing a tantrum. But right now, she was super grateful.

In the exam room, the doctor checked Sharon's vitals and asked her some questions. Her vitals were normal. She did an ultrasound and Sharon got to hear her little boy's heartbeat once again. Hearing the heartbeat did help reassure her at least. Additional exams were also performed. When all of this was done, Sharon was taken back to her room and told that the doctor would come speak to her when they finished looking at her results. She was also told that Helen and Richard would be notified.

Nina was in Sharon's room waiting for her by the bed. While Sharon was lying down in the bed, Nina sat in the chair next to it. The 2 girls were silent for a bit until Sharon finally spoke up.

"Listen, Nina. I just wanted to say... " Sharon sighed as she tried to find the right words.

This really wasn't easy for her. With all the years of torture Nina put her through and everything. But still, Nina had come through for her today when it really counted. And might've even saved her baby.

"I just wanted to say thank you. For taking me to the hospital and for actually staying with me while I'm waiting."

"No problem. I don't want anything bad to happen to your baby. He doesn't deserve that." Nina paused for a brief second, then continued. "And... you don't deserve that..."

Sharon looked up at Nina with a surprised expression on her face.

"I mean, you've already been through enough crap this year. What, with Alden dying and everything. Right? You shouldn't have to lose your baby too."

Sharon nodded and gave Nina a small smile. She was suddenly feeling really tired. But fortunately, she was no longer cramping. She just felt some mild discomfort in her lower abdomen.

"Besides" Nina went on. "Since Griffin is now officially your stepbrother, that's his nephew you're carrying. And even though him and I are no longer together, I figured I owe it to him to make sure his nephew is ok. You know, after everything he's done for me over the last few years..."

Sharon then noticed a look on Nina's face. Suddenly, her mind flashed back to that day in the park with Griffin, after she told her family she was pregnant and ran away. When Griffin found her and talked about Nina with her. That's when she realized something. Nina had the exact same look on her face that Griffin did that day.

"You're still in love with Griffin!" Sharon blurted out, point-blank.

"WHAT?" Nina asked in shock.

"Yeah, you totally are!" Sharon responded, trying really hard not to smile.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Nina said, as she folded her arms across her chest. "Your prenatal vitamins must be getting to your head."

Sharon shook her head. "Nope, nice try. You might've been able to get away with lying to me about a lot of things over the years. But you can't lie to me about this! I know that look! You still love Griffin."

"I might love Griffin. I probably always will. But there's a difference between loving someone and being in love, you know."

"Yeah, but I think it's both for you. You love Griffin and you're in love with him."

Nina grumbled and then sighed.

"Fine, so what if I am?"

"Well..." Sharon hesitated a bit at first. She wondered if she was about to violate Griffin's confidentiality here. But she decided to just go for it. What was the worst that could happen, really?

"Look, I happen to know Griffin is still in love with you too. So if he's still in love with you and you're still in love with him, why aren't you together?"

The redheaded teenager looked down.

"I mean what exactly happened between you 2? I still don't know who broke up with who!" The relentless blonde questioned the redheaded girl.

Sharon knew she was pushing Nina hard here. She would've never dared to ask Griffin all these questions. But for some reason, she felt like she could with Nina. Even though Griffin was her stepbrother and friend and Nina was... well... neither of those things to her. But maybe that was why. Because she felt she had nothing to lose with Nina.

"Look, Griffin's a great guy. But at the end of the day, he's still an 18-year-old boy and wants what every other guy his age wants."

Sharon looked confused.

"Sex? God, now I'm beginning to understand why it was so easy for you to get pregnant..."

Sharon decided to ignore the shade Nina just threw at her.

"Uh-huh." She replied and motioned with her hand for Nina to continue.

"Well, that's just a step I'm not ready to take yet. With Griffin or with anyone else."

"Wait, you're a virgin?" The look of shock that hit Sharon's face at that moment could not even be described.

"Why is that so surprising to you?"

"I don't know. It's just... well... you and Griffin were together for so long. And you've never been religious and your family has never really been religious. Maria and her family are more religious than you and even she..."

"It isn't always about religion, you know." The young redhead informed her. "I just don't feel ready. I just want to wait until it feels exactly right. For that perfect moment. Can you understand that?"

Sharon thought about Nina's question. This still all felt so bizarre to her. How could it be that Nina Harper was a virgin and Sharon is the one who ended up pregnant at 17? It was like a parallel universe.

But she remembered how Alden had wanted to have sex with her for so long. And how Sharon had made him wait because she never felt she was ready until that fateful night up at the cottage. When she finally felt it was the perfect moment for her.

"Yes, actually. I can."

"I think I'm just gonna wait until I'm older. I want to be out of my parents house and able to support myself before I get pregnant. Or at least married to a rich guy so that he can support me. So maybe I'll just wait until marriage."

"Well, sex doesn't always have to lead to pregnancy, you know. Alden and I really weren't as careful as we could have been..."

"Look, no form of birth control works 100% of the time, ok? And I just can't take that risk right now. You really have no idea how difficult it is to be me."

Sharon rolled her eyes. Here we go again. For as long as she could remember, Nina would go on and on about how nobody had any idea how difficult it was to be her. How it was just so hard to be so popular, pretty, rich, perfect and have everyone want to be just like her all the time.

"No, I'm not talking about being popular or anything like that." She said, as if reading Sharon's mind. I'm talking about having my parents."

"Your parents? What's wrong with them? They've always been so nice to me."

"Yeah, that's how they are with all my friends. Really, it's how they are with any kid who isn't their own. But with me, it's an entirely different story."

"What do you mean?"

The redheaded teen sighed. "They put all kinds of pressure on me. I feel like I'm more of a trophy to them than a daughter. It's like they only had me as some kind of status symbol and not because they truly wanted a kid. They're always in competition with all the parents from that stupid country club we belong to. So I need to have better grades, be more good-looking, have more friends and be more popular than every child of every parent there. And of course, having a pregnant teenage daughter would just never do! That's why as soon as I got my 1st boyfriend back in junior high, they both told me I better never come home pregnant. And if I ever do, they will cut me off financially and kick me out of their house."

"Wow, I'm sorry Nina. I had no idea..."

"You're just lucky your family is supporting you through this. Because a lot of teenagers don't have that in your situation. And you're lucky that you can always be yourself with your family. You can even screw up majorly like you did and they still love you. I saw that even when we were best friends as little kids and I've always been super jealous of it."

"Really? You were jealous of me?" If Sharon wasn't already lying down, she probably would've fallen over from shock.

"I guess that's why it was so easy for me to believe that you were the one who ripped my dolls head off, even though I had no proof and I knew Petra was much more likely to have done it. I just wanted a reason to hate you and I finally had one."

Well, this pretty much explained everything. Now Sharon understood Nina better than she ever had before. But she was still unclear about just 1 thing...

"So did you and Griffin break up because he was pressuring you to have sex? Because if that's the case, I don't mind talking to him and telling him to back off..."

"No, that's not it! Not at all. Griffin has always been so sweet to me and never pressured me into anything I wasn't ready for. I was actually the one who broke up with him. The reason being that I just didn't feel right holding him back. If he wants to have sex, he should be able to. And I don't know how long it'll be until I'm ready. I love and care about Griffin too much to make him keep waiting. But of course, I never told him that was the reason. He would've just fought me on it. So I lied and told him I didn't love him anymore and thought it was best if we both moved on."

"You really hurt him, you know."

"I know. But he'll see that it was for the best one day. Besides, my parents never liked Griffin. They never thought he was good enough for me. Too "rough around the edges". But he had no idea because they were always so nice to him. They're such phonies."

Nina wanted to stay at the hospital and make sure everything was ok with Sharon and the baby. But she really needed a break from this conversation right now.

"I'm gonna go down to the cafeteria and grab some coffee. Will you be ok by yourself in here?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine. If I need anything, all I have to do is hit the buzzer and a nurse will come in. Besides, at least 1 of my parents should be here soon."

Nina nodded and was about to walk out of the room. But when she reached to open the door, it was being opened from the other side. A doctor who looked to be in his early 30s with short brown hair was on the other end of the door.

"Good afternoon. It's nice to meet you. I have your sister's results and I want to go over them."

"My sister? What are you..." Nina was puzzled at first because she had always been an only child. Then she remembered the lie she told the nurse up front. "Oh, right."

She walked over to the side of Sharon's bed.

"Sharon, this doctor is here to go over your test results with us."

Sharon instinctively grabbed Nina's hand, fearing that she was going to hear some horrible news about her unborn baby boy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So was anyone surprised that Nina came to Sharon's rescue (once again)? And how about Nina's home life? Looks like there's a reason why she is the way she is after all and her life really isn't as perfect as she'd like everyone to believe it is. Stay tuned to find out if everything is ok with Sharon's baby!


	20. Unwritten

"So, I have some good news for you, Sharon." The doctor started out. "You're not in labor today. What you had is something known as Braxton Hicks contractions. This is basically false labor. Braxton Hicks contractions usually aren't painful and many women don't even feel it. But it seems your case was a little more severe than usual."

Braxton Hicks. Of course! She should've known about that from when it happened to Rachel on Friends. But since this was only Sharon's 1st pregnancy, she wasn't sure how anything was supposed to feel.

"What caused it?" Sharon asked the doctor.

"Well, Braxton Hicks contractions are usually caused by dehydration. Stress is another factor. I understand you're only 17. Being a pregnant teenager in and of itself is pretty stressful. And if you haven't dropped out of school, you're probably getting a ton of homework every night and dealing with tests. Maybe even thinking about college next year?"

Sharon nodded in response.

"So to prevent this from happening again, make sure you drink plenty of water throughout the day and try to avoid unnecessary stress."

"So nothing is seriously wrong then?"

"Nope. Braxton Hicks contractions are a normal part of pregnancy and not a cause for concern at all. Just follow my advice and the rest of your pregnancy should be smooth sailing from this point on."

"And this didn't cause any harm to my baby? He's ok?"

The doctor nodded. "The ultrasound showed a very healthy baby boy. And the other tests all showed that his mother is doing great too."

The doctor then smiled at Sharon, which may have cause a butterfly or 2 to float in her stomach. Not that she was interested in dating this doctor (or any other guy, really) since he was way too old for her, but she had to admit that he was pretty cute. He actually looked younger than Dr. Hart.

"So it was very nice to meet you and your sister, Sharon. I'll get you your discharge papers out front. Hopefully, you won't be back in a hospital until you actually are in labor."

With that said, the doctor walked out of the room.

"Gotta say, your doctor is pretty cute."

"Yeah." Sharon said, as she sighed dreamily.

"Hey, don't get any ideas! I saw him first!" Nina snapped.

"Yeah, but we wouldn't even be in this hospital if I didn't have Braxton Hicks contractions."

"We also wouldn't be here if I didn't drive us here! Besides, he was your doctor. Wouldn't that make dating him a little weird?"

Of course, both girls knew he was much too old for either of them. But it seemed they both instinctively felt the need to compete with each other.

Before Sharon could answer, she was interrupted by that twitch in her stomach reassuring her that her little boy was ok. It was a little strong this time, but she knew that was a good sign.

"Woah!" Sharon exclaimed, as she put a hand over her stomach.

"What? What's wrong now?" Nina asked, sounding alarmed.

""No, nothing." Sharon replied as she took a deep breath. "My baby just kicked."

"Oh." Nina responded as she calmed down. Then she wondered about something.

"Does it... hurt... when he does that?"

"No, not really. It just feels weird. But in a good way."

Nina nodded, satisfied with this answer. Then Sharon had an idea.

"Do you... want to feel him kicking?"

"Sure." Nina answered.

She had to admit, she was curious to know what it felt like. Though Nina would never admit it, she had always wondered what it was like to be pregnant. Not that she was in any rush to find out firsthand.

She put her hand on Sharon's stomach. Pretty soon, she felt what Sharon was talking about.

"Wow..." She said, feeling amazed. "Must be pretty special to know there's a tiny little baby inside you, huh?"

"It's the best feeling ever! And totally worth everything else I've had to endure while being pregnant."

Sharon drew the curtain between her and Nina as she got dressed back into her regular outfit, which consisted of a flowy white maternity cap-sleeved top with a pink floral print and maternity jeans. She held her denim jacket over her arm. When she pulled the curtain back, Nina was waiting for her on the other side.

Nina looked down and nervously picked at one of her professionally french manicured nails.

"So..." The redheaded teen started out. "I was just wondering... do you need a ride home?"

"No, I think I'll be ok. As I said before, my mom or dad should be here soon. But thanks for offering."

"Ok... well if there's nothing else you need, I guess I'll see myself out then."

Nina was on her way out the door when the voice of a certain blonde stopped her.

"Wait, Nina!" Sharon called out.

"Yeah?" Nina asked as she stopped in her tracks.

"Listen, I was just thinking." The blonde teen started out. "We're going to graduate high school in 3 months and will probably never have to see each other again after that. Do you really want to spend the last 3 months of high school fighting and competing with each other like we always have? I mean, aren't you tired of this rivalry we've had going on for an entire decade now? I know I'd certainly like to bury the hatchet. I'm about to be a mother and I'm sure you have more important things in your life you need to focus on too. I'm not saying we have to be friends. But maybe we can just try to be civil towards each other?"

Nina nodded and had a small smile on her face.

"Ok." She agreed. "I think I can do that."

She actually seemed sincere this time and not like she was just saying it for show.

Just then, Helen and Richard both rushed into the hospital room. They each ran over and hugged Sharon tight. This was a bit awkward for her due to how huge her belly now was.

"Oh, sweetie! Are you and the baby ok?" Helen asked her daughter. "I would've come sooner, but I was in the middle of a therapy session I just couldn't get away from."

"And I was in the middle of a shift at Sir Lunch-A-Lot. I left as soon as I got the call about you, but I got stuck in traffic on the way over here. Your mother and I were both so worried about our daughter and grandson though!"

They both hugged their daughter even tighter. The teenage girl tried to gently push her well-meaning parents off, but they had both her arms constricted.

"Look, I love you both and appreciate your concern. But could you maybe not squeeze me so tight? You're gonna push the baby all the way into my back."

"Right, sorry!" Helen apologized as she backed away from Sharon. "I forgot how uncomfortable something like a simple hug can be when your stomach gets this big."

"Sorry." Richard also apologized and backed away.

"Anyway, everything's fine. It was just Braxton Hicks. So I'm not in real labor and nothing else is wrong. The doctor said my baby is perfectly healthy and so am I."

Both parents sighed in relief.

"Well, I guess this is my cue to exit." Nina said as she witnessed the little family reunion going on. She would never admit it, but she was starting to feel jealous as she watched this sweet little Full House moment right in front of her. She just knew her own parents would never be there for her like this if she were in Sharon's position. The most they would do is send their housekeeper to check on her.

"Thank you again for everything you did for me today, Nina." Sharon said.

"Don't mention it." Nina replied. "I'll see you in school. And maybe I'll see you around too, Mr. and Mrs. Spitz."

"It's Mrs. Cardwell now." Helen reminded her.

"Oh, right. Mrs. Cardwell." Nina corrected herself. She had completely forgotten that Helen married David. "Well, goodbye."

As soon as Nina left, Helen and Richard both smiled at Sharon.

"That was really nice of Nina to come to your rescue like that." Richard stated. "I think I see why Griffin was so crazy about her now. I feel bad that things didn't work out between the 2 of them."

"Yeah, I'm actually starting to feel bad about that too." Sharon replied, sounding sad.

"Why don't we go to down to the cafeteria and get you some food?" Helen suggested. "I'm sure you must be starving by now."

"Ok." Sharon agreed with a small smile.

Sharon had loaded up her tray with every non-meat food she could find, as had become a daily routine for her during lunch at school. When she was on her way to meet her parents, she was stopped by a voice that sounded familiar but couldn't quite put her finger on who it was.

"Sharon Spitz?" She heard a young woman say.

Sharon turned around and saw a tall woman with black hair that came past her shoulders and bangs. It took Sharon a minute, but then she remembered who it was.

"Evie?" She asked in surprise.

There was no mistaking it. That was definitely Evie. Dion's old high school rival. The one who had branded Sharon's forehead with the number 9 the 1st week of high school and made her life hell just because Dion was her mentor. Sharon hadn't seen Evie since she graduated from Elkford High 3 years ago. But of course with Sharon's luck, she was bound to run into an old high school tormentor again eventually. But instead of happening while she was looking fabulous, it had to happen while she looked about 200 months pregnant and was stuffing her face. She put her tray of food down at a nearby table as she talked with her former high school bully.

"Uh... what are you doing here?" Sharon asked, not really sure what else to say.

"I'm actually interning here. I'm going to be an ER nurse just like my mom."

"Cool." Sharon said as she nodded.

The tension between the 2 girls could be cut with a knife. Sharon then noticed Evie staring down at her 28 week pregnant belly. She braced herself and waited for Evie to say something about it.

"So, I heard about Alden." Evie started out. "I'm really sorry. I never really kept in touch with him after high school, even though I was his mentor. But he was a good kid. And I could tell he really cared about you even after you guys broke up."

"Thanks." Sharon replied. "How did you hear about him though?"

"I'm friends with a lot of people I used to go to high school with on MySpace. And many of them have younger siblings who now go to Elkford High. So word eventually got back to me. So, is Alden..."

Sharon then noticed Evie pointing to her stomach and nodded in confirmation.

"Yes, he's the father. We actually got back together the summer after freshmen year."

"And did he know he was going to be a father?"

Sharon shook her head. "I didn't even know I was pregnant until after he died."

"Wow, that sucks. I'm really sorry. Well, at least you'll know what to tell your child when they want to know why their daddy isn't around. I'm still trying to figure out what I'm gonna tell my daughter when she has questions about her daddy."

"Your daughter? You have a daughter now?"

Evie smiled proudly as she pulled out her cell phone and showed Sharon some pictures.

"She's gonna turn 2 this summer."

"She's pretty." Sharon said as she looked at the pictures. "She looks just like you."

"Thanks." Evie replied as she put her phone away. 

"So what happened with the father that you're so afraid to tell her?"

"Well, he was this guy that I met my 1st week of college at a Freshman mixer. We got pretty serious right away. But then I found out I was pregnant during the Christmas break. As soon as I told him I was pregnant and was going to keep the baby, he broke up with me and said he wanted nothing to do with our child. He said I was making a huge mistake and it wasn't right for me to ruin his life, even if I didn't care about ruining my own future."

"What a bastard!" Sharon exclaimed.

"Right? Like he didn't help get me into this mess? I'm now suing him for child support. I just don't know how I'm gonna one day explain to my little girl that her daddy wants nothing to do with her."

As much as Sharon missed Alden and wished he could raise their little boy with her, at least she knew he never would've reacted the way Evie's ex-boyfriend did.

"So do you know if you're having a girl or boy yet?"

"Yeah, it's a boy. And he's due May 27th."

"Aw, how cute! Well, I'm not gonna lie to you, Sharon. Being a single mom is gonna be hard. Especially a teenage single mom. But it'll all be so worth it! You'll see."

"Yeah, I'm pretty excited about it. I mean, I know my situation isn't exactly desirable either. But I can't wait to meet my son!"

"I'm really glad I ran into you here, Sharon. I've been wanting to apologize for the way I treated you in high school for the longest time now. I'm really sorry. About the 9 on your forehead, for insulting you, everything. Especially now that I have my own daughter. I would go ballistic if anyone ever treated her the way I treated you."

"That's ok. I'm not interested in holding a grudge over something that happened 3 years ago. Besides, walking around with a 9 on my forehead for a week doesn't seem so bad now that I'm gonna have to walk around with this huge preggo belly for the next couple of months until the baby's born. And at least the 9 you marked me with wasn't accompanied by morning sickness and back pains."

Evie chuckled. "Trust me. After you survive childbirth, you'll feel you can handle anything life throws at you."

Evie then pulled a pen and piece of paper out of her purse, wrote something down on it and handed it to Sharon.

"That's my email and cell number. Keep in touch. I want to know how everything is going with the rest of your pregnancy. And I hope to continue hearing from you after the baby's born too. I think it'll be nice to have another young mom to talk with."

"Ok." Sharon said with a smile.

"By the way, do you still keep in touch with Dion?"

"Yeah, he's actually 1 of my best friends. He was so supportive of me when I told him I was pregnant too and has continued to be there for me since then. I actually told him before I even told my family."

"That's so nice. Well next time you talk to him, tell him I said hi and that I'm sorry for being so mean to him in high school too."

"Ok. I will."

The girls said bye to each other as Sharon picked up her tray and looked for her parents. She couldn't believe she managed to make peace with both Nina and Evie in the same day! She wondered how cold Hell must've been right now...

As soon as Sharon got home, she was just about ready to go to bed. It wasn't that late. Even Sara and Lara were still awake. But she was feeling exhausted and had a particularly long day, being scared about her baby and everything. As soon as she got up to her room, she heard a knock on the door.

"Come in." She called.

It was Hannah. She now wore her dark hair down and was wearing a yellow cap-sleeved baby doll top and jeans.

"Hey Sharon."

"Hey Hannah. What's up?"

"Nothing much. I just came over to see how you're doing. You ok?

"Yes, I'm fine. Did Adam send you over here to check on me?"

"Well... yeah, he did. But I was worried about you too."

"Well, I'm fine and the baby is fine. And as you can see, I'm not in labor right now or I wouldn't have come back home from the hospital. And you can pass this information on to Adam too. He must've called me about 50 times since I left the hospital and nothing I say seems to be reassuring enough for him. I had to talk him out of driving all the way out here in at least 10 different phone calls."

Hannah couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm glad you find this so amusing..."

"Look Sharon, I know Adam might seem a little intense. But this is only his 1st nephew. And he's still not totally used to his kid sister being pregnant. Especially when you're still a kid yourself. So he still feels the need to look out for you."

"I know and I do appreciate it. But he was starting to go prenatal police on me the moment I hit my 3rd trimester. He's kinda been driving me crazy with his constant phone calls lately."

"Oh yeah, that reminds me." Hannah handed Sharon a water bottle. "He wanted me to make sure you're drinking enough water. He did some research on Braxton Hicks contractions and read that dehydration is the leading cause."

Sharon sighed as she grabbed the water bottle from Hannah. "See what I mean? I already learned this from a doctor at the hospital. And it is my body and my baby. I think I can be trusted to take care of myself."

"Look, just be patient with Adam, ok? He does mean well. And this is all a lot scarier for him now that he's no longer here to see what's going on with his own eyes. I'll talk to him. I'll let him know his little sister and nephew are both doing great. And I'll try to convince him he only needs to call you twice a day at most. I know it's still pretty early, but maybe you should try to sleep now? It's a good idea to make sure you're getting plenty of rest."

Sharon rolled her eyes. She knew this was also coming from Adam since he had been lecturing her about staying up too late doing homework the last few days.

"That's coming from me too, ok? I do agree with your brother about that."

"Believe me, I'm so tired that I really don't need any convincing on that one. Good luck to you though."

"To me? Why me?"

"Because if Adam is this intense over his nephew, imagine how he'll be with you when you're carrying his son or daughter someday."

Hannah laughed.

"Good night, Sharon." She called as she left.

"Night."

Helen kept Sharon home from school the next day, worrying that she might push herself too hard following a very eventful day. Since Sharon was concerned about her unborn son's well-being, she didn't fight her mother on it. Sharon slept in and was woken up by another surprise visitor.

Griffin had come to visit his stepsister. Sharon was very surprised to see him since he was supposed to be away at Toronto University. He finally started college this semester.

"So what brings you here?" She asked her stepbrother. She was still wearing her pajamas.

"Well, Nina texted to tell me that she took you to the hospital yesterday. So I just wanted to make sure everything was ok with you and the baby."

"You should've just called me. Not that I'm not happy to see you, but you really didn't need to drive all the way down here. I'm fine. I told Adam the same thing. I mean, this was certainly nothing to miss your classes over."

Griffin shrugged. "I really didn't mind the drive or missing my classes. You know I've never been into school much anyway. So why did you go to the hospital if nothing's wrong?"

"I just had Braxton Hicks contractions. Which is false labor and nothing to be concerned about. I just overreacted."

"And there's nothing else to worry about?"

"Nope, everything's good." She looked down nervously for a minute. "Listen Griffin, Nina told me what happened while she was at the hospital with me..."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah..." Sharon was about to continue, until she remembered that Nina had lied to Griffin about why she broke up with him.

"I think you should call her up now that you're back in Elkford. Or better yet, go visit her! I have a feeling she really wants to see you right now."

Griffin shook his head. "I'm pretty sure it's over, Sharon."

"Just try talking to her, ok? Just try. I have a feeling she hasn't told you the entire story."

"Well, maybe. I think I'm actually gonna stick around for a few days. I told my professors there was a family emergency and I would probably be out for the rest of the week."

"I just feel bad that was all for nothing."

"Well, maybe it wasn't for nothing. I can't believe how much you're showing now!"

"I know, I feel like I tripled in size since the last time you saw me! And I'm only gonna get bigger up until the baby comes."

"Well, good thing he's not coming this soon, right?"

"Right."

"I'm gonna go home and settle in for a bit. I'll see you later, Sharon."

As Griffin left, Sharon had an idea. She was glad Griffin would be around the rest of the week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, not the earth-shattering cliffhanger most chapters in this story have had. But I thought this was a good spot to end it. Just wanted to take the time again to thank all my amazing readers and reviewers. I want to thank the readers I've had for a while now, in addition to any new readers who just picked up this story. I realize how long this fic is at 20 chapters and 56, 390 words (especially for this fandom), so I appreciate your patience in sticking with it. It's not gonna be much longer until the final chapter!


	21. You Get What You Give

Sharon returned to school the next day. Once again, she was welcomed into the school by other students staring at her 7 month pregnant belly. She tried to hide her stomach behind her backpack as she walked down the hallway, until she realized it was no use. Her tummy was way too big to be hidden now. And she still had 2 more months for it to get bigger. At least, that was the goal. She wondered if she'd even be able to fit behind any of the school's desks during her last weeks of pregnancy.

She had also been experiencing pain in her lower back, just as Mrs. Clark had warned her about. However, she did not take her advice about carrying a pillow around with her. She didn't want to do anything else to call attention to herself. But she knew she might have no choice soon as she would only get more uncomfortable as her pregnancy went on.

When Sharon got to her locker, she was approached by Maria, Connor, Alyson and Brock. They each said hi to her. They were all worried because she wasn't in school yesterday and she had told them Nina took her to the hospital for the Braxton Hicks contractions.

"So you're sure everything's ok with the baby?" Maria asked with concern.

"Yeah, the doctor assured me it's all normal. I just have to keep hydrated and try not to let myself get too stressed out. Though the latter part hasn't been easy for me lately."

Sharon then felt the familiar twitch in her stomach that had become so calming to her now. She put a hand over her stomach.

"And he just kicked. His way of letting me know he's ok in there. I swear, I think I have the next David Beckham in the making. Looks like you're gonna have fun teaching your honorary nephew how to play soccer, Maria."

"Can I feel the kicking?" Brock asked.

"Sure."

Brock placed a hand over Sharon's stomach. "Wow! That's pretty cool."

"Right? It's hard to believe there's a tiny person in there who we'll finally get to meet in just a couple of months!"

Maria also placed a hand over her best friend's stomach to feel the kicking of the unborn boy, even though she had already felt it a couple of weeks ago when they were both hanging out at Life Cycles.

"I still can't believe Nina actually came to your rescue the way she did." Alyson stated in disbelief. "I mean, I know it turned out to be nothing serious anyway. And I'm glad about that, believe me. But still."

"Yeah, who would've thought Nina actually has a heart after all?" Connor agreed. "I guess even Nina doesn't want to see anything terrible happen to an innocent baby."

"It gets even weirder than that." Sharon started out. "I think I finally called a truce with Nina once and for all."

"You're kidding me!" Maria exclaimed in astonishment.

"How did you manage to do that?" Brock asked.

"Well, first I thanked her for helping me out yesterday. After all, I thought my little boy's life was in danger. So I was glad to have her there with me, even after dropping me off at the hospital. The whole situation was really scary. And then she said she owed it to Griffin to make sure his nephew was ok. This led to us talking about what really happened between them. I couldn't believe how much she opened up to me! Then right before she left, I told her I didn't see any point in continuing this whole stupid feud that's been going between us for years. Not with graduation just around the corner. And then we probably won't even see each other again after that. So I just asked her if we could spend the rest of the year being civil towards each other. But we don't necessarily have to be friends again. And she agreed."

"Wow..." Connor responded in disbelief.

"I don't know, Sharon..." Alyson said cautiously. "This is Nina we're talking about. How many times have you thought she's changed her ways, only to see her go back to her old self later on? How do you know she's not just doing it for show this time?"

"It was just something about the way she was talking to me all day yesterday. I think maybe she's tired of fighting with me all the time too. Maybe believing something could've happened to my baby and actually being there to witness it changed something in her. Who knows?"

"Well, I'd still watch my back regardless. You never know when Nina might turn her back on you. As you had seen happen before."

"I'll keep that in mind. But as I said, we are graduating soon. And I'm probably gonna work something out so that I won't even have to be at school the week after my baby is born. Although I still want to try to attend the graduation ceremony. So what more can Nina really do to me at this point?"

When Sharon's friends all started to head off to their homerooms, she pulled Maria aside.

"Listen..." Sharon started out. "I've talked to both Griffin and Nina individually about their breakup. And I know for a fact that they're both still in love with each other! I want to try to get them back together!"

Maria rolled her eyes. "Seriously, Sharon? Don't you remember what happened the last time you interfered with their relationship? It nearly ran Griffin out of town!"

"That was different! I was trying to break them up that time. This time, I'm going in the opposite direction. I'm trying to push them back together!"

Maria sighed. "Fair enough. It's just that... well... a lot of your other matchmaking attempts haven't always gone over so well..."

"If you're referring to that time I tried to get Dion and Houston together, that was also a different story. Dion tried to tell me he wasn't interested in a relationship at the time and I wasn't listening. Now that I feel the same way myself after Alden's death, I get it. But Nina and Griffin WANT to be together! I can tell. Nina only dumped him because she thought she was doing what was best for him. There's just so much going on in her life that she never talked to him about. So we just need to get them talking."

"Well how exactly are you gonna make that happen? What's the plan?"

"I don't really have a plan right now. When Griffin came to see me yesterday, I told him he should talk to Nina. He seemed reluctant though. And I'm also not so sure Nina would be completely honest with him either."

"I guess you'll have some time to think about it since Griffin will be in town for a few days. Come on, lets get to class. I don't want to be late. Unlike you, I can't use being pregnant as an excuse."

Sharon laughed. "It's not like I do that very often, you know. And it usually is for something legitimate. Like the fact that I have to pee all the time now because Junior here likes to rest on my bladder. So I'm constantly running to the bathroom. And I can't move as fast as I used to."

"Just wait until you get to your final days of pregnancy. You'll be waddling like a penguin down these halls."

"Don't remind me!" Sharon shook her head and groaned.

Both girls laughed as they walked to their homeroom together.

At the end of the school day, Sharon stopped at the gym to see Nina before her cheerleading practice started. On the way there, she saw Jessica.. She hadn't been able to get Jessica to talk to her ever since Tess confessed to sharing her doctor's note on the internet and she wanted to know why. After all, she was able to call a truce with Nina and get on good terms with Evie just 2 days ago. She should be able to at least talk to someone who was supposed to be her friend.

"Jess, wait up!" Sharon called out to her. When Jessica kept running, Sharon chased after her.

"Jessica!" She shouted.

Jessica stopped at the doors leading to the gym.

"Oh, hey Sharon..." She seemed nervous.

"Jessica, you've been avoiding me for 2 months now. When you see me coming, you run in the opposite direction. You ignore me when I say hi to you. You won't answer any of my calls or texts. And look at you right now. You can barely even look at me. I thought we were friends, Jess. So why are you treating me this way?"

Jessica sighed. "Look, my parents don't want me to associate with you anymore, ok?"

Sharon nearly fell over in shock. "What? Why not?"

"Well, they know you're pregnant too. You know, thanks to your doctor's note being passed around all over the internet. They both received copies of it. And I've told you about how religious my mom is, right?"

Sharon slowly nodded her head.

"Well, she thinks you're a bad influence now that you're pregnant. She's worried you're going to corrupt me."

Sharon scoffed. "That's ridiculous! You're not even a virgin yourself. Aren't you and Bailey..."

"Do you think my parents know that?" Jessica hissed. "Bailey's family and my family go to the same church. My family loves him and I need to keep it that way. Or my mom will force us to break up."

"Why do you even care what your family thinks about who you hang out with at this point? You're almost 18 and going away to college next year. They can't tell you who to have as friends."

"And who do you think is paying for me to go to college? And then to law school? I'll never be able to afford that on my own! I'm sorry, but this is just how it has to be right now. I mean, you did kinda bring this all on yourself."

"I brought this on myself? How? You're the one who's going along with your mom's rules that you don't even agree with. You're always complaining about how strict she is."

"Well honey, it's really not that hard to use birth control, you know."

Sharon felt as if she was just punched in the stomach. It really hurt to hear all of this coming from someone she used to think was so sweet. Still, she thought she'd try to get her to help out with reporting Tess 1 last time.

"Look, I understand you don't want to be friends anymore. But maybe you can help me out one more time? You heard Tess talk about how she was the one who posted my doctor's note on the school website..."

Jessica sighed as she cut Sharon off. "I'm sorry, Sharon. I really wish I could help you. But I can't."

Jessica walked away from her former friend and into the school gym.

Sharon felt like crying as she watched the doors swing shut. She couldn't believe Jessica would do this to her after knowing everything she had been through this year. So now she lost a friend in addition to her boyfriend? What was next?

She then heard Tess and Liane snickering from behind her. They must've heard the whole thing. Great. Just great.

"Well what did you expect, Spitz? You're nothing but a trashy, knocked up whore now and everybody knows it."

Sharon couldn't take it anymore. Especially coming from Tess. The one who was really responsible for Jessica ending their friendship. After all, Jessica's parents never would've even known about her being pregnant if Tess didn't spread her doctor's note around the way she did.

"Oh yeah? Then how come I'm not the one who has my name written all over the walls of the boys bathroom? Even in my current state? And I've heard some of the things it says about you in there are even worse than "trashy, knocked up whore".

Sharon was gonna have to remember to thank Brock for giving her this information.

"You stupid bitch!" Tess screamed in Sharon's face, which caused her to jump back. "Did you forget who's fault it was that all those rumors got started about me in the first place? You know what? I don't care if you are pregnant! You better watch your back! Especially when walking down the stairs. I know how clumsy you are. You wouldn't want to have an "accident", would you?"

At this point, Tess's screaming had attracted an audience. Sharon started to shake a bit at what Tess just said until she heard a voice boom out from behind them.

"That's it, Tess!" Nina yelled. "You're off the squad."

"What?" Tess cried out in shock. "Why?"

"You just said you're going to push Sharon down the stairs while she's pregnant. Do you realize that you could KILL her and her baby? Why would you want to harm an innocent baby like that? That's just sick! We can't have a psychopath like you representing Elkford."

"I wasn't really gonna do it! I just wanted to scare her. She's being a little bitch and needs to be put in her place."

"I'm not sure I believe you. And even if it was "just a threat", you don't say things like that! I don't care what Sharon did or said to you first."

"Why do you even care? Everybody knows you hate Sharon!"

"Sharon and I may not have always gotten along. But I would never physically hurt her or even threaten it. And I would certainly never threaten the life of a little baby who never did anything to anyone!"

"But Nina..." Tess started out.

"Your dismissal from the squad is effective immediately!" The teenage redhead cut her off. "Make sure you hand in your uniform and pom-poms by tomorrow morning. And don't try to change my mind. My decision is final!"

Tess let out a scream and stomped her foot. "Screw you, Nina! In fact, screw you all! Especially you, Spitz! I hope your child turns out even worse than you!"

With that, Tess stormed out of the school.

Nina stood there with a satisfied smirk on her face. She then noticed the group of onlookers still standing around.

"Ok, the shows over! You can go now!" Nina informed them all.

Most of the kids walked away with this. However, there were a few boys that still stuck around. Probably to see if a fight would break out between Sharon and Nina.

"Seriously?" Nina asked with a huff. "What part of GO don't you understand? I know you were hoping for a cat fight where us girls would rip each other's clothes off. But it didn't happen and it's not going to. So just leave! Thank you."

All the guys left over dejectedly walked away. Sharon actually heard 1 of them saying "Man, I was totally betting on the pregnant chick."

She couldn't help but laugh internally at this. She wasn't sure how anyone thought she could ever take on both Nina and Tess, let alone in her current state where she was moving a lot slower. But she was certainly amused by it.

"Wow! Thank you for coming to my defense like that, Nina." She said to her former enemy. "That was really amazing of you."

"No problem. Tess has actually been pissing me off for a really long time. So I'm happy to finally be rid of her. I know she's always felt she should've been captain instead of me and was constantly trying to take over during practice."

"Well, I don't know what her deal is. But she is 1 person I definitely hope I'll never cross paths with again once we all graduate."

"Same." Nina agreed.

Sharon was still a bit shaken up by Tess's threat. She wasn't really serious, was she?

"Why don't we go to the principal together and tell him who posted your doctor's note on the internet? In addition to the fact that she just threatened to push you down the stairs. I'm sure he'll be very interested in that last piece of information. I mean, there's only so much "mommy" will be able to do to save her daughter. Right?"

"Really?" Sharon asked in surprise. "You're willing to do that for me?"

Nina shrugged. "Well I guess we're sort of friends now, so why not? Besides, Griffin and I were together for a really long time. I spent so much time over at your dad and his mom's place and I would always see you over there. So in a weird way, I guess I kind of feel like you're family."

This was so bizarre. Sharon might've just lost Jessica as a friend. But at the same time, it looked like she gained Nina as one.

"Wow..." Sharon was astonished. "I never thought I'd hear that coming from you."

"And I never thought I'd say it, but here I am. Now let's get to reporting Tess before this gets too sappy. You're not expecting us to hug, are you?"

"Never!"

Both girls laughed. Nina poked her head in the gym and yelled at her fellow cheerleaders to keep practicing their routine until she got back. But before they went to the principal, Sharon knew she had one last thing to say to Nina.

"Listen, Nina. Since you're doing 2 huge favors for me today, I'm gonna do 1 for you. I think you should talk to Griffin. I'm telling you this as your "sort of" friend."

Nina sighed. "I thought I told you..."

"Just tell Griffin everything you told me in the hospital. He'll understand. And he's back in town for the rest of the week, so you can talk to him in person. He's over at my dad's and I know he would love to see you. You should go over there when you're finished with cheer practice."

"Well... ok. I think I might just do that. I would actually love to see him too."

Later that night, Sharon received a text from Griffin telling her that he and Nina were gonna try to work things out. She put her phone down on her desk as she smiled. She had to admit, she was rather proud of herself for saving a relationship this time. 1 down, 1 to go.

About a month later, a very important letter had come for Sharon in the mail. David informed her of this as soon as she got home from school that day. He handed it over to her.

"This came in the mail for you today, Sharon. It's from NYU. And I bet you got in! Here, open it!"

Sharon wasn't sure how she felt about it. On one hand, she really did want to get in and knew she would be crushed if it was a rejection letter. But on the other hand, it might actually bring some relief if NYU did reject her. After all, it would save her from having to make a lot of important decisions that were nothing but headaches.

Sharon closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she slowly opened up the letter from NYU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the unannounced 2 week gap in updating. But don't worry, I won't abandon this fic! I'm determined to see this story through to the end and even have more Braceface fics planned after I complete this one. It won't be much longer. Hope everyone felt this chapter was worth the wait!


	22. The Tide Is High

When Sharon unfolded the letter, she opened her eyes and read it.

"Well?" David asked eagerly.

"I got in..." Sharon stated breathlessly. She still wasn't sure how she felt about it.

"I knew it! Congratulations Sharon!" David said as he hugged her. "I can't wait to tell Helen! She'll be so happy. And I bet she's gonna make your favorite dinner tonight!"

He then noticed Sharon just standing at the kitchen table and looking down at it.

"What's wrong? This is good news! I thought you'd be excited..."

"I can't go, remember? I'm gonna have to stay here to take care of my son. I'll be lucky to even be able to go to school locally."

"I thought you were going to talk to them and see if they'd let you defer for a year? Isn't that what Mrs. Clark suggested?"

"You mean a year later? When I'll have my hands full with a toddler? And I'm still not sure how I'm gonna work out childcare there."

"Well, most of your friends are going to school there, right? Didn't they all offer to babysit for you?"

"Sure, Brock and Maria will be there. And now it looks like Alyson will be too. But they won't be able to babysit for me all the time. They'll all have their own classes to attend and will all probably have jobs too. And Dion will have graduated FIT by then. I don't know if he's gonna stay in New York. In fact, he'll probably start some amazing career as a world-famous fashion designer and will travel to a different city every week to show off his incredible designs."

Sharon started to think about this some more as she was talking. Yeah, that's what was going to happen with her friends. Dion would travel all over the world with his fashion. Maria, Brock and Alyson would travel the world with Mangled Metal. Connor would be the next Bill Gates. Nina would become some big time tv or movie star. 

And even her brothers were destined for success. Adam would probably have some big wrestling career with WWE. Josh would probably get to travel the world as a famous pianist. And Griffin would either be a famous artist or musician (if he could ever decide which one to major in, that is).

And what was her fate? She was probably gonna be stuck in Elkford for the rest of her life as a single mother. Not that she wasn't still happy about entering motherhood. And it looked like she still had a decent shot at becoming a veterinarian. But she felt like next year was gonna be very lonely for her with most of her friends and 2 older brothers not being around as much. It was just so much change at once. She felt overwhelmed by it. Not to mention, she was still a little insecure about how good of a mother she was gonna be. She hoped she'd handle it better than she did with her robot baby from the "Baby Think About It" project.

"Well, you're planning on getting a job in Elkford once you're a little more settled with the baby anyway, right? Why don't you save up some money so that you'll be able to afford the daycare on campus for when your friends are unable to help you out."

"I think mom really wants me to go to school around here though. I mean, I know she'll be happy to hear I got in to NYU. That's still a pretty big deal no matter what I end up doing. But she feels I could get more help if I continue living at home. Plus, I don't think she wants to be too far away from her 1st grandson."

"Well, I think you should still call the school up and see if they'll let you defer. That way, the option to go to NYU will still be there. Even if it is a little later than you had planned on starting college. You'll have a whole year to work all the other details out. "

Everything David was saying sounded so good. She had dreamed about going away to college ever since becoming a teenager. As much as she loved her family, she had always wanted a chance to become independent. But it wasn't gonna be like that now, no matter what she did. This time, she was gonna be the parent. She was going to have a child who was totally dependent on her. And her little boy was always gonna have to be her number 1 priority. No matter what.

That Friday, Sharon had invited Maria and Alyson to sleep over at her house again. It was the last day of school before Spring Break started and she was in serious need of some girl time. Just 1 last sleepover with the girls before the baby came.

Of course, she knew it would be a little awkward for her since she had been having trouble sleeping lately. It was no longer safe for her to sleep on her back and was extremely uncomfortable for her to do so anyway. Dr. Hart had advised her to always sleep on her left side, as it would increase blood flow to her placenta and baby. Being restricted to sleeping in 1 position was hard on Sharon because she was used to moving around in her sleep. And on top of being uncomfortable sleeping, she also often kept herself up by worrying that she would accidentally land on her back and cause her little boy serious harm. She just hoped she wouldn't keep Maria and Alyson awake with her inability to sleep.

The 3 girls were gathered in Sharon's room. They had just finished pumping up the air mattresses that Maria and Alyson would sleep on. Sharon sat in the chair at her desk with a pillow behind her back, while her 2 friends sat on her bed. They were all discussing the senior prom, which was less than a month away.

"So you're not even gonna try to get a date?" Maria asked her best friend.

Sharon shook her head no. "It still feels too soon after Alden's death. I just always thought him and I would be going to Senior Prom together and never imagined going with anyone else. Besides, who's gonna want to go out with me now? I've gotten so huge! I look like a whale!"

"Oh Sharon, you're still beautiful! You just look like you're having a baby. Anyway, just be glad you're not an elephant. Elephants are pregnant for 2 years."

Sharon buried her face in her hands. "Oh God. I can't imagine that! That's how long I had to wear braces for. And as much as those hurt at first, I don't remember them being this uncomfortable for this long. I don't think even the headgear was this bad. And that was a short-term thing. Between my stomach being so big and the need to get up and pee so often, I can't sleep at all. And don't think I'll be getting much sleep when the baby comes either. I remember Diane from our 9th grade project all too well."

"Well, at least you won't being going through this for as long as you had your braces. Sharon, you're 8 months pregnant! You only have 1 more month left in your pregnancy! And you're gonna be rewarded with a beautiful baby to go with the beautiful smile your braces gave you! Aren't you excited?"

Sharon smiled as she stroked her 33 week pregnant belly. "Yeah, I am. Thinking about my baby makes all of this worth it. Sorry guys. My hormones are all over the place again and I'm feeling a little cranky. Dr. Hart said this might happen."

"It's ok. We understand." Alyson assured her.

"And what about you?" Sharon asked her brunette friend. "Are you and Connor still on a break?"

"Yeah." Alyson sighed. "Looks like I'll be going stag to the prom too."

"Maybe you should try talking to him again?" Maria suggested. "I mean, it's been over 3 months now. And with graduation coming up soon and then both of you going off to different colleges next year, I feel like you're either going to break up for good or officially get back together at this point. Which one will it be?"

"Maria's right." Sharon agreed. "You can't stay in relationship limbo forever. Even Ross and Rachel had to decide eventually. I say you should fight for your relationship! Do you still love Connor?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, I think he still loves you too. So I think if the 2 of you just talk, you'd be surprised at what could happen."

It did work for Nina and Griffin, after all.

"Believe me, I've thought about calling him or approaching him at school several times to talk to him. But I'm not sure what to say. I feel like he's not gonna listen to me. I know he thinks we're heading in different directions and it bothers him, even if he is still in love with me."

"Well, maybe you 2 should talk about what it is that made you fall in love in the first place." Sharon suggested. "That might help him realize you really haven't changed much at all. Then maybe he'll feel better about having a long distance relationship with you."

"I guess..." Alyson said with a sigh. She looked depressed.

"Maybe we should take a break from this conversation right now. We have another big occasion coming up right before prom that I think we should talk about!" Maria said as she nudged Sharon.

"Oh yeah? What's that?" The blonde teen inquired.

"Your baby shower! Alyson and I are both going to plan it for you. Although most of the ideas are hers because I don't really have a lot of experience with this kind of thing."

Alyson nodded. "Yeah, I actually helped my aunt out quite a bit in planning my cousin's baby shower. So I know what to do. In fact, I even made a sample invitation on my computer at home. And I brought it with me! Do you want to see it?"

"Of course!" Sharon exclaimed excitedly. This was definitely a nice, uplifting conversation to have for a change.

Alyson pulled the sample out of the bag she brought for her personal belongings. She handed it over to Sharon.

"Remember, this is just a sample. If you don't like it, I can change it. And if you do like it, I'll print out more and those will be the ones we send out."

Sharon took a look at it. The invitation had a stork delivering a baby on the front that said "It's A Boy!" in blue letters below it. The inside of the invitation was baby blue.

"This is so cute!" Sharon said, as she brushed her finger over the stork on the front. "I love it!"

"Really?" Alyson asked.

"Yeah! And the timing is great too because my mom was just helping me put together a list for my baby registry."

"Perfect! So when you decide what store to register with, just let me know and I can add the information people need to look up your registry. Oh, you're gonna love all the games we're gonna play at your baby shower too!"

"We're not gonna do the one where everyone takes a string to guess how big my stomach is, are we?" Sharon asked with a sigh.

She remembered this game from her Aunt Judy's baby shower a couple of years ago. However, she really didn't want people to be focusing on how big her own belly had gotten. She was still feeling self-conscious about it.

"We have to! It's a baby shower standard."

Sharon sighed and rolled her eyes. But then quickly got over it.

"Ok, I guess I'll survive it. This is really awesome of you guys! I can't wait. Thank you so much!" She gave hugs to both of her friends.

"I have an idea." Maria stated. "Let's watch our movie now! I brought over Drop Dead Fred. I know it's not our usual chick flick. But I thought the nostalgic trip back to our childhood might be nice. And I think we all need a laugh with the way things have been going lately."

"Good thinking, Maria! I like that idea. And maybe after that, we can watch a Disney movie. I'll admit, I still love them. And I think I own every single one that's been released so far on dvd."

"I love that idea!" Alyson nodded in approval. "And there is no age limit on Disney movies. They're classics!"

As the girls watch their movies, Sharon started thinking of Disney themed items she could put on her baby registry. She already had the Lion King bib with baby Simba on it that she bought right after finding out she was pregnant. Maybe it might be nice to start a whole Lion King collection. She could get sippy cups, pillows, blankets, sheets, etc. with Lion King characters. Needless to say, it was pretty easy for her to decide which Disney movie to watch with the girls.

She couldn't believe this might actually be their last sleepover. Next year, Maria and Alyson would both be away at their colleges. And even when they came to visit during breaks, it would be a little hard to have a sleepover with a baby in the house. A baby, which it looked like, would be sleeping in Sharon's room.

The next morning, Alyson left before Maria. This left Sharon some time to catch up with her best friend, which she never seemed to have anymore.

"Man, it feels like ages since it's been just the 2 of us, huh?" Maria noted.

"Yeah." Sharon agreed. "As much as I love our other friends, it is nice to have some best friend time. Which we probably won't get too much of soon."

"True. You're gonna have a baby to take care of this summer and then I'm going away to school. And even during breaks, you're still gonna have a baby. But it'll be fine. I'm gonna love seeing that adorable little guy whenever we hang out. I just can't believe you're not going to be in New York with me and Brock next year. We had all been talking about this since Junior year and we never imagined anything else. Of course, we always thought Alden would be there with us too."

"I know." Sharon said with a sad look on her face. "But it'll be ok. I talked to NYU and they agreed to let me defer. So maybe I can join you guys over there the following year."

"Well, I hope so. And don't forget, Brock, Alyson and I all agreed to take turns babysitting whenever we can. So it's not like you'll have no help out there either."

"I know. You guys are the best. I mean it. You've all been so great since the moment I found out I was pregnant. You and Alyson have such an awesome baby shower planned out for me. And Alyson and Connor were both there literally holding my hands when the doctor at the clinic told me I'm pregnant. So now I'm gonna do something for the 2 of them."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"I'm gonna make them end their break and see to it that they both go to the prom together. I need your help setting it up though."

Maria rolled her eyes. "Seriously?" She then put her hand on Sharon's stomach and talked to it. "Will you help me out here? Your crazy mother wants to play matchmaker. And she's insisting on dragging me along!"

Sharon laughed. "Maybe I am crazy. But my plan to get Griffin and Nina back together worked, didn't it?"

"Yeah..." Maria admitted. "Ok, so what's the plan this time, Cupid?"

Sharon told Maria all about her plan as the day winded down.

That Monday night, the 2 girls put their plan into motion. Luckily, it was a very warm night that practically felt like summer. So Sharon's plan would work perfectly. She was responsible for bringing Connor, while Maria had Alyson.

"Sharon, I really don't feel like going to the beach tonight. Can't we just do something else?"

"Oh, come on! Humor a pregnant lady! Besides, I think you'll end up thanking me for this."

Connor sighed as he placed a hand on Sharon's stomach and talked to it.

"You see what I have to put up with from your crazy mother?"

Sharon giggled. "I don't understand why everyone thinks I'm so crazy for wanting my friends to be happy. Anyway, keep walking." She gently pushed Connor's back.

"Hey, it's not like you're moving all that fast yourself."

"I know. I'm waddling instead of walking now."

"Are you sure you're ok going this distance? Maybe we should've called a cab..."

Sharon shook her head. "I'll be fine. Besides, we're almost there."

When they arrived at the beach, nobody was there. Guess it wasn't a very popular time for people to be going, despite the weather being nice. Perfect! This would make the plan all the better.

Sharon got a text from Maria on her phone. Time to put their plan into action!

"Oh, I have to pee again. I swear, this baby thinks my bladder is a squeeze toy. I'm gonna go up to the boardwalk to find a bathroom. Just keep going. I'll find you when I get back."

"Ok..." Connor replied as he watched Sharon waddle away. He wondered how she was managing to get around in her current condition. He started walking until he noticed a towel laid out with a picnic basket on it. And then he saw... Alyson?

"Alyson..." He started out. "Hey..."

"Hey..." She responded.

"Looks like we've been set up." He said as he gestured towards the picnic basket with his eyes.

"Yeah..." She was a bit uncomfortable and unsure of what to say.

"Well... I guess it would be a shame to let all this food go to waste." He sat down on the towel and patted the other side of it, inviting Alyson to sit and join him. She did so.

"I wonder what Sharon whipped up for us." Connor said as he opened up the picnic basket.

While there was food in there, the first thing Connor pulled out was actually a badge.

"What's this?" Connor asked as he handed it over to Alyson.

Alyson took it and examined it. "This is the backstage pass to the ballet Nina was in years ago. The one I was supposed to be Nina's dresser for, but quit when she made me choose between her and you. That's when we all became friends! But what's it doing in the picnic basket?"

Connor shrugged as he continued to explore what else was in the basket. He pulled a necklace with a triangle pendent.

"Bet you remember this." He said as he handed the necklace off to Alyson.

"Yup! I got these necklaces for Sharon, Maria and me to all wear as symbol of our newfound friendship. "The Gin Girls". Ok, what else is in there?"

Connor reached in and pulled out 2 small plastic dinosaurs. A T-Rex and a triceratops.

"Toy dinosaurs?" He asked as he handed Alyson the triceratops while holding on to the T-Rex himself.

"Not sure where these came from." She responded.

They were actually Josh's from when he was a little kid. He had given Sharon his dinosaur collection to pass on to his nephew.

Alyson continued. "You know, they do kind of remind me of our 1st date."

"Oh yeah. The dinosaur exhibit at the museum."

"Yeah. I remember the sweet way you asked me out too."

"Yeah..."

The 2 of them both looked down and didn't say anything for a few minutes. Finally, Connor spoke up.

"Listen, Alyson. I'm glad you got in to Julliard. I think you should try to chase after your dream, even if it is very different from what I want to do. I knew you always wanted to play in a rock band and I should've been more understanding about it. I'm sorry I practically ended our relationship over this."

"I'm sorry too. But I know that's not the real reason you got so upset. I should've told you I was gonna applied to Julliard before I even did it. I was just so excited about the chance at being able to pursue my dream instead of having to go for my backup plan. I guess I just expected you to be happy for me and didn't think about how it would actually affect you. How it would affect us and our relationship and all the plans we made for Banting. But I do feel our relationship is strong enough to survive long distance. Or at least, I thought it was..."

"I think it is." Connor said as he grabbed one of Alyson's hands.

"So, I want to ask you something..." Alyson said.

"Me too."

"You first."

"No, you."

"Do you want to go to prom together?" They both asked simultaneously. Then laughed and started making out.

Sharon and Maria were both watching from behind a bench in the distance. They gave each other high fives.

"We did it!" Sharon exclaimed.

"Gotta say Spitz, your plan actually worked out well this time. Look at them!"

Connor and Alyson were still making out. Suddenly, she started unbuttoning his green plaid shirt while he pulled off her pink v-neck sweater, exposing her silky hot pink bra.

"Wait..." Sharon started out. "They're not seriously going to?"

"Oh, I think they are!" Maria replied.

Sharon covered her eyes with her hand. She might've been pregnant, but she was still pretty innocent. Besides, Connor was like a brother to her. So this felt weird.

"I'm surprised Connor's willing to do it on a beach." She said. "You'd think he'd be paranoid about all the germs out here."

Maria shrugged. "I guess they're making up for lost time."

"Well, I think this is our cue to leave. Give them some privacy." Sharon said as she started to waddle away.

"Right." Maria agreed, as she followed her very pregnant best friend. They both left the 2 reunited lovers to make love under the stars on the beach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Connor and Alyson are no longer on a break! Yay! :) And I think there's only about 2 chapters of this story left. Stay tuned to find out what happens next!


	23. A New Day Has Come

The next morning, Sharon had slept in. Really, it was almost noon by the time she'd finally woken up. Once again, she had a hard time sleeping at night due to being so uncomfortable. She was happy she didn't have to be up really early for school that morning, at least.

Sharon waddled down the stairs to the kitchen. She stayed in her pajamas since she didn't have anywhere to be at the moment and just wanted to be comfortable since she was so uncomfortable most of the time now. Looks like Dion had the right idea there.

When Sharon got down to the kitchen, she saw Josh sitting at the table. He was pouring a bowl of cereal for himself. Apparently, he had slept in too. Looks like Josh also wanted to take advantage of being off from school. Helen was also at the table, reading the paper and sipping her cup of coffee. Probably getting ready to see her next patient. The twins had already eaten breakfast hours ago and were watching tv in the living room.

As Sharon popped a slice of bread into the toaster, Josh started talking to her.

"So Sharon..." He started out. "Does Tracy have a date to the dance for 9th graders that takes place a week before your prom?"

"Um..." Sharon started to think. "No, I don't think so. Why?"

"Well..." Josh seemed a bit embarrassed, but continued. "I was thinking about asking her if she'd like to go with me. I mean, I know I'm not in high school yet. But I will be next year. And I think Tracy and I have a lot in common. So I'd like to give her a chance if she'll give me one. So do you think you can give me her number?"

"Of course!" Sharon happily answered. She was so glad her little brother was actually taking her advice. "I'll text it to you when I finish my breakfast."

"Cool! Thanks, Sharon!"

"No problem. So does this mean you're over Jessica?"

"Yeah, I want nothing to do with her now. Who knew Jessica Brady would turn out to be such a backstabbing bitch?"

"Josh! Language!" Helen scolded her youngest son.

"Sorry..." He responded sheepishly.

"Well, Jessica's not really a..." Sharon lowered her voice, hoping her mom wouldn't hear her use the word too. "Bitch..."

Her technique didn't work and Helen glared at her daughter.

"Sharon!" Helen exclaimed. "Didn't you just hear me tell your younger brother not to use that word? I need you to set the example here! Especially now that you're about to bring your own child into this world."

Sharon shook her head and stifled a laugh. It's true that she was gonna have her own child to care for soon. However, she was still Josh's sister and not his mother. She saw no reason to get all parental on him.

"It's just that Jessica's family is super religious and a whole lot stricter than ours is. She's afraid of what they'll do if she disobeys them."

Josh shook his head. "She's not a true friend, Sharon. If she was, she would've stood up for you. And she could still hang out with you at school without her parents knowing. She also could've helped you report Tess and they wouldn't have had to know anything about it. But she cares more about herself than she does about you. I could never be with anyone who would treat my sister that way! After all, blood is thicker than water."

"Well, thank you Josh." Sharon said as she smiled at her baby brother. "Since when did you get to be so smart?"

Josh chuckled. "Please! I've always been this way. You just never listened to me until now."

Sharon laughed as she sat down to eat her toast.

Later that day, Connor and Alyson called a meeting with all their friends at Life Cycles. They said they had an announcement to make. Sharon had a feeling it wasn't just that they were back together. She figured Connor probably proposed to Alyson as well. But she'd let him be the one to announce that.

Sharon, Maria, Brock and Carmen were all sitting on the couch at Life Cycles.

"So what's this big announcement you wanted to make?" Maria asked impatiently.

Alyson held out her left hand to show off a sparkly silver ring. "We're engaged."

Everyone sitting on the couch gasped. Well, everyone except Sharon, that is. Sharon had already been expecting this.

Connor gave Alyson a look. "Well..." He tried to explain. "More like engaged to be engaged. A pre-engagement, of you will."

"Right. Sorry." Alyson sheepishly corrected. "I got so excited, I was having trouble explaining it properly."

Connor smiled at her, gave her a peck on the lip and put an arm around her shoulder.

"It's ok." He told her. "I'm happy that you're happy. Now let's go order some smoothies."

"Smoothies, huh?" Maria inquired. "You sure you 2 don't just want to have Sex on the Beach?"

"Good one!" Sharon stated.

Sharon and Maria both burst out laughing and gave each other high fives. Connor and Alyson both shot them confused looks.

"I don't think Bill even makes those here, Maria." Alyson responded.

"Yeah and besides, we're not even old enough to drink. At least not legally, anyway. So it's not like we can just go and casually order that." Connor pointed out.

"Oh, I don't think Maria was referring to the cocktail!" Sharon declared, still laughing. "Hmm, cocktail. Interesting choice in wording there!" She and Maria continued to crack up.

Now everyone looked confused.

"Will you guys just tell us what's so funny already?" Brock asked, sounding annoyed.

Maria then tried to calm herself down so that she'd be able to explain herself clearly. She took a deep breath and then started talking.

"Well, Sharon's right. I wasn't talking about the drink. I was more referring to what the 2 of you were up to last night."

Connor and Alyson both started to think and suddenly it dawned on both teens at once. They both blushed heavily.

"You guys actually saw that?" Connor asked, sounding mortified.

"Well, no. We didn't actually stick around to watch you guys getting it on." Maria reassured them. "But we did see enough to know exactly where things were headed."

"Don't worry." Sharon also tried to give them some reassurance. "There's no reason to feel embarrassed. This is a safe haven. I mean, look at me." She said as she patted her big, pregnant belly. "I'm the one who's about to have a baby. But at least I can take comfort in knowing our circle is a judgement-free zone."

"Besides." Maria continued. "We're just glad you 2 are no longer on a break. Now it feels like all is right with the world."

"Last night was pretty amazing." Alyson admitted.

"Except for all that sand getting everywhere." Connor shuddered.

"Oh come on. It was still the best sex we ever had and you know it."

Connor briefly smiled but then his expression changed to a more serious one.

"Ok, let's talk about something else now. Who's going to prom?"

Before their time at Life Cycles ended, Connor and Alyson made sure to thank Sharon and Maria for helping them fix their relationship last night. Then, Alyson pulled both girls aside and promised to give them all the details about the amazing make-up sex she and Connor had.

As Sharon's week off from school went on, she started to feel as if her younger siblings resented her for not being able to help out around the house as much in her condition.

"I don't want to change the cat litter again!" Sara complained.

"Well, I did it last week." Lara responded to her twin sister.

"And I did it the week before." Josh declared. "So it's your turn now."

"What about Sharon?" Sara asked. "She hasn't changed the litter since the Christmas break! And those cats are more hers than anyone else's. She's the one who insists on having all these animals!"

"Um, hello?" Sharon said as she gestured towards her huge belly. She was sitting in the living room chair with her feet propped up, trying to get comfortable. "I'm 34 weeks pregnant here. I can barely even bend anymore!"

"Besides" Helen backed her daughter up. "Cat poop carries bacteria that's harmful to an unborn baby. It can cause severe birth defects or even a stillbirth. So it's best if Sharon stays away from cat litter altogether. That's why I haven't asked her to change it since we found out she's pregnant. We want to keep her baby boy healthy, right?"

"So she gets out of gym AND out of doing chores?" Lara asked. "Looks like she's getting rewarded for getting pregnant in high school. Based on how everyone reacted on Christmas, I thought it was supposed to be a bad thing. But nope. She gets treated like royalty for making a huge mistake."

"Yeah." Sara agreed. "Isn't it enough that we're all gonna have to put up with her baby crying and keeping us awake at night after he's born? And now we have to do all of Sharon's chores too? Not fair!"

This hurt Sharon's feelings. She thought the twins were excited about becoming aunts. They may not have been Sharon's biological sisters, but she still considered them family regardless. And she expected them to be more accepting than this. She tried to fight back her tears.

Adam entered the living room eating a huge sandwich he made for himself. He heard everything. As the oldest sibling, he felt the need to intervene.

"Ok, enough." Adam said after taking a bite out of his sandwich. "Sharon is older than all of you and I'm gonna tell you this as the oldest myself. There's gonna be a time when you'll need Sharon's help one day. And she'll give it to you. So you really should help her out now. Trust me, she'll remember it."

"Sorry." Sara and Lara both apologized.

"You know what? I'll change the cat litter!" Josh offered. "I did it so many times before David and the girls moved in. I'm practically a professional! I care more about keeping my older sister and nephew safe than anything else." He smiled at Sharon and she smiled back at him. He was certainly proving to be loyal this week!

"Thank you, Josh." Helen said to her youngest son. "That's very sweet of you."

Soon, everyone cleared out of the living room except for Sharon and Adam.

"Hey, thanks for having my back like that." The blonde teen told her big brother.

"No problem. I told you, I'll always have your back. And my nephew's."

She gave him a smile.

"So how are you doing?" He asked Sharon, as he put a hand on her pregnant stomach. He was hoping to feel his unborn nephew kick again. When he felt the kicking once more, he smiled. He felt as if the little guy was saying hi to him.

"Well, it's a little easier now that I'm on vacation. Last week, I was practically falling asleep in all my classes. Even the ones I like. Partly because it's hard to sleep at night with all the extra weight I'm carrying and partly because being pregnant is so exhausting to begin with. Oh, and my back's killing me. But other than that, I'm fine."

Adam laughed. "Well, at least now you have an excuse for falling asleep in school."

"Yeah." Sharon laughed too.

"So I'm gonna go to the kitchen and make myself another sandwich. Did you want any food from there? I don't mind bringing it out here to you just so you don't have to get up."

"No, I actually have to get up anyway. I need to pee again. Just another wonderful part of being pregnant."

Sharon struggled to get out of the chair a little. Adam helped her out. Sharon started to waddle away holding her stomach until she heard her older brother call out to her.

"Sharon?"

"Yeah?"

"Never mind." Adam said, as he started cracking up.

"Ok, what? What's so funny?"

"Do you remember when I joined that Just Quacks organization with Hannah's dad? And then you came to the meeting to protest it when you found out they were a hunting group and not about wildlife conservation like they seemed?"

"Yeah..." Sharon was confused. That was 3 years ago. Why was Adam bringing this up now?

"Well, I always knew you liked ducks. But I never thought you were actually gonna start walking like them!" Adam fell onto the couch as he continued to laugh at his very pregnant sister's waddle.

"Oh, ha ha. Very funny. I'd like to see how well you'd walk around if you had all this baby weight throwing your balance off."

"Well, I'm a guy. So I guess I never will know what that's like." Adam said, as he started to calm down.

"Rub it in, why don't you?" Sharon rolled her eyes, as she went back to waddling away. But she was also smiling. She was glad to see her relationship with Adam hadn't changed much over the years. It made her feel like she could still have somewhat of a normal life, even with all of the changes occurring. And he knew this was exactly what she needed too.

Later that day, Sharon went over to Dion's house. He had called her in to a meeting at his basement/design studio. She had no idea why.

As soon as she walked in, he was holding measuring tape. He started measuring her tummy from all angles.

"Let me guess. You're coming to my baby shower and you're trying to cheat at the "guess how big Sharon's preggo belly is" game?"

Dion rolled his eyes. "No."

"Then what's with the measuring tape attack on my stomach?"

Dion then smiled. "You're gonna love this!"

"What?"

"I'm gonna make your prom dress for you! Any style and color you want. You name it, I'll do it!"

"You don't have to do that, Dion" Sharon stated. "I can buy my own prom dress."

"Please! How many stylish maternity prom dresses were you actually able to find?"

Sharon thought about this. Even though prom was still a month away, she had started looking at dresses. It's true that the dresses she saw in the maternity section left something to be desired. Probably because most pregnant women were past the age of attending prom.

"Exactly what I thought." Dion replied to Sharon's lack of response.

"But still. You have to drive back to New York in a couple of days. It's gonna take you a lot of time and effort to make a dress for me."

Dion held up his hand and shook his head. "Don't even worry about it. You've seen how fast I can work and I've only gotten better overtime. And you've had a rough year, so you deserve it."

"That's very sweet of you, Dion. But I'm sure you have better things you can be doing while you're on break."

"Consider it my graduation present to you."

"It still feels like too much to accept."

"Well, maybe you can do something for me in return then."

"What's that?"

"Let me take some pictures of you modeling the dress when it's ready. You know, for old times' sake. It'll be just like when we first met in high school.

"Really? That's all you want? Just a little nostalgia?"

"Well, no." He admitted. "I'm going to add this to my portfolio too. And who knows where that could lead? I could end up with a whole line of maternity clothes!"

"Ok." She agreed with a smile.

"Oh, and you have to let me babysit your son whenever I'm in town!"

"I think you're gonna have to get in line with Maria, Brock, Connor and Alyson. Not to mention my brothers. Looks like I'm gonna have to try to go out every night of the week during breaks."

"Well, I'll even do you one better and design clothes for your baby boy. And then maybe I can have a line for baby clothes!" Dion gushed. He really seemed to be in awe over this.

"I had no idea you were so crazy about babies, Dion."

"Of course! Who doesn't love babies? I am hoping to adopt one day, you know. I even used to help out my uncle with the kids at birthday parties. You can speak to him if you need a reference for me to babysit."

"No, it's ok. I trust you. And I'm sure I'll appreciate all the free time I'll be getting with everyone who wants to babysit!"

"I'll even play Celine Dion's Miracle album for your baby while trying to get him to sleep. He'll love her rendition of Lullaby."

"You should play her version of Tale As Old As Time too, since I'm probably gonna be raising my son on Disney movies. I swear, I had no idea that was Celine Dion singing in the closing credits of Beauty and the Beast until I met you."

"And that is exactly why I was meant to be your mentor." Dion smiled as he put an arm around the pregnant teen girl.

Before break ended, Sharon got a visit from Griffin one more time.

"Hey Griffin. What's up?" She greeted her stepbrother as she let him into her room.

"Not much. I just wanted to thank you once again for helping me and Nina get back together. It looks like simply just talking things out helped. I had no idea her relationship with her parents was so complicated. I'm really glad she finally opened up to me."

"Good, I'm glad." Sharon smiled at him. "And I assume you're going to prom with her?"

Griffin nodded. "I did ask her if I could escort her to the prom and she said yes. I even put on a suit to do it at Life Cycles. Kind of like how I was gonna ask her to be exclusive before..."

"I know. Before I screwed it all up by making Nina think you were going to dump her in public. I think I've atoned for my sin since then, haven't I?"

"Yes, you certainly have. And if I hadn't already forgiven you years ago, I definitely would now. I hear you and Nina are even friends now? Or "sort of" as she puts it?"

Sharon laughed. "Yeah, we "sort of" are."

"Well, that's a pretty big accomplishment considering the history you 2 have." Then his tone and expression got more serious. "So I was hoping I could get your advice about something. I feel like I need to clear my conscience before I accompany Nina to the prom."

"Ok, what's up?"

"Well, Nina might've finally been honest with me. But I'm afraid I haven't been completely honest with her."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you know how we were broken up for about 8 months before getting back together? And how I was doing a lot of traveling last semester?"

"Yeah..."

"Well, I ended up in New York City on Halloween. While I was there at night, I noticed a parade going on. They apparently do it every year over in Greenwich Village. So I decided to check it out. And at the parade, I met a really hot chick dressed in an Elvira costume. We started talking and really hit it off. She was a little older than me. 21 to be exact. Which means she was old enough to drink over there. The legal age for drinking is a little higher in the US. So anyway, she had an apartment in the area. So she and I both went back to her place and had a few beers. While we were drinking, I talked to her about Nina and she talked about a relationship she just got out of. We both started feeling depressed and were both pretty drunk and..." He looked ashamed and this last part was hard for him to say. "We ended up sleeping together."

"Oh..." Sharon wasn't really sure what to say.

"And I really regret it! For starters, that was my first time and I barely even remember it. We both just woke up next to each other with a vague memory of being together. I also feel like I used her. But she told me not to worry about it because we basically used each other and it wasn't even her first time." He then noticed how uncomfortable Sharon looked. "I'm sorry. Is it weird hearing about my sex life now that we're legally brother and sister?"

"A little. But then again, you already know I've had sex." She said as she pat her 8 month pregnant tummy. Then her expression changed to a more concerned one. "Wait, you barely knew this girl. Did you use..."

"Yes, we used protection. Don't worry. I didn't catch anything from her and I'm not about to be a father."

"Good." Sharon sighed in relief. "I think 1 new addition to the Spitz family is more than enough. I don't think we can handle anymore."

"But the worst thing of all is that I feel like I cheated on Nina."

"You didn't though. If this was on Halloween, you guys were already broken up for over 2 months. And you waited a while. It's not like you just jumped into bed with someone the moment Nina dumped you. Though I can understand regretting it because it was a one night stand with someone you barely knew. Not that I'm judging. I mean, look at me. I have no room to judge."

"I knew you wouldn't. Which is why I'm telling you. And I know you got pregnant and it's sad that Alden isn't here to help with your situation. But at least you both loved each other. I love Nina and that whole experience made me realize I never want to have sex with any girl who isn't her. If that means waiting until marriage, so be it. If that means waiting another decade, so be it. I just want to be with Nina and only Nina."

So maybe there's a reason why you went through what you did. We all make mistakes. Believe me, I know that better than anyone. But the important thing is to learn from them and try to do the right thing afterwards. And it sounds like that's the case with you."

"As far as doing the right thing goes, do you think I should tell Nina about it?"

Sharon nodded. "I believe it's important to be honest in any relationship. And I would want to know if I were her."

"What if she hates me for it? I mean, she's a virgin and made it clear that she's not gonna be ready for sex anytime soon. What if she decides to dump me again for this?"

"I really don't think she will. Did she tell you the whole reason she even broke up with you in the first place is because she felt she was holding you back from having sex? She loves you and thought she was doing the right thing by setting you free. She's not gonna hate you for doing exactly what she wanted to free you up for. Just explain the situation to her exactly the way you explained it to me. She'll understand."

"I hope you're right..."

"I haven't been wrong yet, have I?"

They both smiled at each other before Griffin left to go talk with Nina.

Soon enough, Sharon was 36 weeks pregnant and was getting a sonogram with Dr. Hart for the final time. She couldn't believe how close she was getting to her delivery date! For this visit, she got to hear the beautiful sound of her baby's heartbeat again, see how big he had gotten, and even saw his face on the ultrasound screen! She could make out the shape of his eyes, nose and everything! It was so amazing! Dr. Hart went over the baby's measurements and the position he was in with her. And at the end of the visit, she gave her the last 2 ultrasound photos she would get. And then told her she would only have 4 more visits until the baby's due date.

As uncomfortable as Sharon was in her current stage of pregnancy, she actually felt like she was gonna miss being pregnant. And she was gonna miss these doctor's visits. Especially hearing her baby boy's heartbeat and seeing him on the screen. She felt a little sad, but knew holding him in her arms after giving birth would be the most incredible feeling of all!

1 week later, it was time for Sharon's baby shower. It was held at the Spitz house. Maria and Alyson both planned it out with some help from Helen. Of course, they were all there. Sara and Lara participated in it too, along with some of Sharon's aunts and some female cousins. Lauren was there too, of course. Hannah also came over for the baby shower. Some female friends Sharon had from school came to the shower and of course Tracy showed up. Even Nina came over, which somewhat surprised Sharon. Of course, her fair-weather friend Jessica didn't show up, despite being invited. But it was ok. Sharon was very pleased with the crowd she did have at her baby shower.

The hostesses of Sharon's baby shower had decorated the house beautifully with blue streamers and balloons everywhere. They hung up a silver banner that said "It's A Boy!" in blue letters. And cupcakes with blue buttercream frosting were served, as well as a cake in the same fashion. And of course, all the food served was vegetarian.

They also played some fun baby shower games and even did some karaoke with songs that had the word "baby" in the title. Sharon was rather pleased when she was praised for her rendition of Baby One More Time by Britney Spears. Of course, she knew everyone was probably just being nice since it was her baby shower. But at least she was having fun! Of course, Alyson was the true karaoke queen of the party. She rocked Mariah Carey's Always Be My Baby.

The game where they had to name as many baby animals as possible was Sharon's favorite, since she was a huge animal lover. She didn't even mind the game where everyone had to guess how big her belly was. Helen ended up winning it. Probably because she was used to seeing her daughter everyday during her pregnancy.

Sharon was really happy with all the gifts she received too. She especially enjoyed looking at all the cute baby clothes! And while she didn't get every single thing she was going to need for the baby that was requested on her registry, her family was going to help her out with the rest.

The following week was the prom. However, Sharon was more excited about only being 2 weeks away from her delivery date. She went to the prom solo, although she was given a ride by Alyson with Connor, Brock and Maria in the car too. She totally felt like a 5th wheel.

The dress Dion designed for her was actually similar to the one she wore to the dance her Freshman year. It was the same exact shade of green, except it had spaghetti straps instead of falling off her shoulders. And of course, the major difference is that this was a maternity dress. But it still looked absolutely beautiful on her! Dion did a wonderful job at making sure this dress complimented her pregnant body perfectly.

Her hair was done in an up-do with a thin headband the same color as her dress holding back her bangs. Alyson had helped her out with her make-up. She wore silver ballet flats for her shoes.

When the friends had arrived at the prom, Sharon noticed Griffin with Nina right away. They looked happy to be near each other. When Griffin walked away for a minute, Sharon went over to talk with Nina.

"So, how's everything going with you guys?" The blonde girl asked the redhead.

"Good." She answered. Then she decided to tell Sharon what she knew she really wanted to hear about.

"Griffin told me all about his one night stand in New York on Halloween. And he told me how he felt after the whole thing. He said I'm the only one for him and hearing that made me happier than I've ever been in my life. And he told me you were the one who encouraged him to be honest with me about it. You were right, that is information I would've wanted to know. So thank you for convincing him to tell me. And thank you for helping us get back together."

"You're welcome." Sharon replied. The 2 girls smiled at each other.

"You've got a strand of hair that's out of place." Nina said as she noticed this.

"Really?"

"Yeah, hold still. I'll fix it for you."

Nina pulled off Sharon's headband and tried to fix her bangs for her so that they would stay in place. She stopped in the middle of doing this when she was disgusted by just how wet the floor in the school gym was.

"God, why would they mop the floors right before the start of the prom? These Manolo Blahnik's cost a fortune and now they're all wet!"

"Yeah, my shoes feel wet too." Sharon declared. "I have no idea why they didn't clean the floors sooner!"

Alyson and Maria were standing nearby and heard this.

"That's funny. The floor doesn't feel wet over here." Alyson stated.

She and Maria walked over to Sharon and Nina, curious as to what they were talking about. Maria then noticed a big puddle of water that seemed to be coming from Sharon. Her eyes widened when she realized what was happening.

"Um, Sharon?" She started out. "I think your water broke..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was the longest chapter in this story, so I appreciate the patience of everyone who read the whole thing! And it looks like the big moment is finally here! And guess what? The next chapter will be the last one for this fic! Hard to believe, I know. And I'm gonna miss writing this fanfic. But I'm also excited to write out the final chapter. Stay tuned to see how everything turns out for Sharon and her baby!


	24. A Moment Like This

"What? Are you serious?" Sharon asked, panic clear in her voice.

Maria continued to stare at the ground.

"Um, yeah. I'm pretty sure."

"Ew! Gross!" Nina shrieked and jumped back, away from the pool of water.

Alyson also looked at the gym floor.

"Yeah, looks like your water broke all over Nina's shoes!" Alyson said as she tried really hard not to laugh.

Alyson couldn't help but feel somewhat amused by the whole situation. Sure, Nina might've been nice now. But she still felt like this was karma for all the years of torture she put her through. Not to mention all her friends. Especially Sharon. Up until recently, that is.

"But... I'm not due for another 2 weeks..." Sharon stated with panic continuing to rise in her voice.

"My cousin was 3 weeks early." Alyson informed her. "Most babies don't arrive on the exact date the doctors tell you. But you are past 37 weeks now, so at least you know your baby won't be premature."

At this point, a whole crowd had gathered around to see what was going on. Including Connor and Brock.

"I think we better get you to a hospital, Sharon." Connor suggested. "I don't think you want to have your baby in the school gym during prom."

"Though it certainly would make prom memorable." Brock said.

"It's already gonna be memorable for my water breaking. Oh God! I need to get out of here!" Sharon cried.

Alyson nodded. "I'll drive you to the hospital. Come on!"

"I'll meet you guys there." Nina told them. At this point, she was barefoot and holding up her black Manolo Blahnik stilettos. "I just have to deal with my shoes first. And don't worry. I'll go find Griffin and tell him for you."

Alyson led the way with Connor and Brock following behind her. Maria had Sharon by her arm and helped her fight through the crowd of teens surrounding them.

"Move out of the way, people!" Maria shouted out, her best friend by her side. "Pregnant woman about to have her baby coming through!"

The other teenagers backed away as Maria helped guide Sharon out of the gym, following the rest of their friends to Alyson's car.

Alyson sat in the driver's seat and Connor was in the passenger's seat. Brock and Maria sat in the back with Sharon. Maria was right next to her.

Once they were all settled in and Alyson started driving, the labor pains had begun for Sharon. This time, she knew it was the real thing and not just Braxton Hicks. Her contractions were about 8 minutes apart and would last a full minute. Each contraction more intense than the last.

Unfortunately, traffic was pretty heavy at the moment. So it was taking a little longer to get to the hospital than they would've liked.

"God, can you drive a little faster Alyson? I don't want to have my baby in your car!" Sharon then groaned in pain as she felt another contraction come. She clutched her pregnant belly. "Ow!"

"I'm driving as fast as I legally can, Sharon." Alyson responded. She tried her best to be patient with Sharon, realizing that her friend was probably in a great deal of pain right now.

"If I get pulled over for speeding, it's going to delay our getting to the hospital even more." The brunette girl pointed out as she continued to watch the road ahead of her. She was doing a pretty good job at keeping her cool.

Sharon continued to moan with each contraction.

"Oh my God! I've never been in this much pain in my life!" The blonde cried out. "Ow! Ow! Ow!"

The traffic was not showing any sign of improvement.

"Here, why don't you squeeze my hand?" Maria offered her.

Sharon took Maria up on her offer and squeezed her hand tight. A little too tight. After a few minutes, it really hurt and actually felt like she was bruising it.

"Ok, I'm gonna have to ask you to let go now, Sharon!" The raven-haired girl yelled.

Sharon granted Maria's request and let go of her hand, placing it on her own belly that she was once again clutching in pain.

"Sorry." Maria apologized. "I know this probably doesn't compare to the amount of pain you're in right now. But if you squeezed my hand like that for another minute, I think you would've broken it." Maria then rubbed her left hand with her right one.

"Well, I'm sorry I hurt you. But come back to me after you squeeze another human out of your vagina."

Maria then turned to Brock. "Ok, I think I'm gonna adopt so I don't have to go through all this. Hope you'll be cool with that."

"I think that might be for the best." Brock replied, not wanting to think about his girlfriend being in the kind of pain Sharon was in.

"Thank God we're using birth control."

"Ok, enough!" Connor cried out, not wanting to hear the details of Maria and Brock's sex life. "Why don't we focus on trying to make Sharon more comfortable until we get to the hospital?"

"Yes!" Sharon agreed. "Please! Besides, I have a feeling you 2 will change your minds when you actually are ready to have kids." Sharon then moaned in pain once again, as another contraction came. "Ouch!"

"Yeah, I'm not so sure about that." Maria replied, as she felt sorry for what her best friend was going through right now.

"Yeah, just you wait! This can still happen even if you don't plan for it. Birth control isn't always 100% guaranteed to work, you know."

"And I think you've just killed sex for everyone in this car..." Alyson said. But she perked up as she saw the hospital soon after.

"Oh, look! We're here!" She stated, relieved that this was all over.

When the 5 friends got inside the hospital, they walked up to the front desk. Sharon explained that her water had broken and she was in labor.

"And I've been here before when I had Braxton Hicks contractions a couple of months ago. So all the paperwork should be in order."

Pretty soon, Sharon was wheeled off to a room. It seemed the hospital staff remembered the last time she was there with Nina. She even got a private room.

When Sharon was in her hospital gown and laying in the bed, her friends all came in to the room and gathered around her. Sharon felt really bad that they were all missing prom for her. They already went out of their way to drive her there. She didn't want to continue disrupting this special night for them.

"You guys can go back to the prom now." She told them.

"But we don't want to miss the birth of your baby." Maria said.

"You won't. Look, it'll probably be hours before the baby is born. My mom was in labor for 14 hours with me. There's no point in you guys sitting around and waiting with me for that amount of time. So go back to prom, go to the after-prom party later, spend some time with each other and then go home and get some sleep. If I'm anything like my mom, my son won't make his grand entrance until 9 in the morning tomorrow."

"Are you sure you want us to go?" Alyson asked. "I mean, we are all honorary aunts and uncles to your baby. So we wouldn't want to miss it when our honorary nephew gets here."

"Plus, we also want to be here to support you." Connor added.

"You guys have already done more than enough by driving me here."

She saw they were still all giving each other hesitant looks.

"Look, my family is gonna be here soon. And they're gonna want to stay until the baby is born. So if anything, I'll have Adam text you guys when I get closer to delivery. He has all your numbers. But I'm almost positive that the baby won't be here until morning anyway."

The spring semester for Smithdale had ended, so Adam was home for the summer. Griffin was home from Toronto University too.

"Are you sure, Spitz?" Brock asked.

"Yes! Now go. Please! Don't make me start begging here. Oh, I do have 1 more thing to say though. I'm sorry for snapping at you guys in the car." She was feeling bad about that now.

Maria squeezed her shoulder. "Hey, it's ok. With the pain of being in labor, I think anyone would be a little cranky. I just feel bad that you have to miss the rest of prom. I mean, it's supposed to be a rite of passage."

"Yeah, but I'm about to have a baby. There's no bigger rite of passage than that. Besides, prom wasn't gonna be the same for me without Alden there anyway.

Sharon's friends all left the hospital and headed back to prom, as per her request. Shortly after their exit, Dr. Hart walked in to Sharon's room. She checked her out and let her know she was only 2 centimeters dilated. This meant she had a long way to go.

Sharon's contractions continued coming on strong. Dr. Hart had asked her if she wanted an epidural, but Sharon insisted on trying to give birth naturally.

About an hour later, Nina and Griffin walked into Sharon's hospital room. Nina had different shoes on. She must've stopped home to change them before getting to the hospital.

"Sorry for getting here so late." Griffin told her. "We had to take a little detour first." He pointed to Nina's feet, with the new stilettos on them.

"You're just lucky that I love Griffin and it's his nephew you're bringing into this world. Otherwise, I'd charge you for the shoes you ruined when your water broke."

"Nice to see you too, Nina." Sharon replied.

Griffin shook his head and smiled at them both.

Sharon then insisted they both go back to prom, just like she had with her other friends. Soon after they left, Sharon's whole family had gotten there (save for Griffin, of course). They each went in to see Sharon individually. Sara and Lara went in together.

"Come here, I want to talk to you both." She said, making a motion with her hand that asked them both to come closer to her.

"Sorry for what we said about you doing chores, Sharon." Lara apologized.

"Yeah, we didn't mean it." Sara reiterated.

Sharon shook her head. "It's ok. And I get it. I was supposed to leave for college next year and 1 of you were going to get my room. So you're probably a little bummed out that it's not going to work out that way now, right?"

They both slowly nodded their heads.

"Plus, this is a big change. Having a new baby in the house is gonna be a huge adjustment for all of us. At 9 years old, I don't think I would've reacted so well to having a change like this in my life either. I mean, I know I got through Josh being born. But I was so young, I barely remember it. But what I do know about the 2 of you is that you're both going to be awesome aunts!"

"You really think so?" Lara asked.

Sharon nodded. "I know so. And besides Josh, you'll be the only siblings I have living at home with me. So you'll have an important job."

"What's that?" Sara asked.

"I'll need you both to watch your nephew when I need a few minutes of peace at home and Josh is unavailable. Which will probably be often next year since he's starting high school and will still be super busy with his piano and all."

While the twins were still too young to babysit, Sharon wanted to make them feel like their roles in her baby's life would still be important.

She continued. "And when you watch him, you're going to be an important influence in his life. I want you both to talk to him, play with him, read to him and teach him stuff. Do you guys think you can handle that?"

Both twins smiled and nodded. "Ok." They answered in unison.

"Good." Sharon smiled back at her stepsisters.

Josh was the next to see Sharon.

"So the movie Cars is coming out next month." He informed his sister. "Maybe we can take the baby to see it."

"Well, I already know from personal experience that babies and movie theaters really aren't the best mix." She replied.

Sharon still remembered when her, Alden, Maria and Brock did the "Baby Think About It" project together. They all tried to bring their robot babies into the theater, only to be asked to leave by the other moviegoers because the babies wouldn't stop crying.

"Oh." Josh answered, sounding disappointed.

"But when it comes to DVD, I'll get it and watch it with the baby at home. And you can watch with us! Come on, I know you want to see it too. It's ok to admit it. Despite what you may think, you're not too old for it and you never will be. Hell, I'm almost 18 and I'd still want to see it even if it wasn't for the baby. So I'd be more than happy to check it out with you."

"Ok." He admitted. "I kinda do want to see Cars."

"So I'll pick it up as soon as it's available for purchase and the 3 of us can watch at home together. Ok?"

"Sounds good." He said with a smile.

"Besides, I actually got a lot of Cars stuff from my baby shower. So he might as well see what it's all about. Can't believe the merchandise is so popular before the movie's even hit theaters!"

After that, Helen and Richard came into the room with their spouses. Helen brought a suitcase into the room.

"I packed some of your stuff up for you since you're gonna have to stay here for a couple of days until you can bring the baby home." She told her daughter.

"Thank you." Sharon smiled at her mom.

"You're welcome, sweetie."

"I can't believe my water broke during prom! That'll make one hell of a story to tell my son when he's older. "I mean, I wasn't even there for a full hour."

"Sometimes it happens at the most inopportune times." Helen pointed out. "Your father and I were at a U2 concert when my water broke with you."

"We only got to hear 3 songs." Richard added.

"I know. I've heard this story before."

"Well, my water actually didn't break with Griffin." Lauren started out. "There were some complications with him and I actually had to have an emergency c-section. Most painful experience of my life! And probably the reason why he's my only. But I'd go through it all again, of course. Griffin was totally worth every second of pain."

Sharon winced in sympathy, having heard some of the c-section horror stories she had. Then she ended up feeling real pain from another contraction.

"Ouch!" She screamed.

"Honey, are you sure you don't want me to grab Dr. Hart and tell her to give you the epidural?" Helen asked out of concern.

"No, mom. I already told her I want to do this naturally."

"I wanted to try to have Adam naturally. But the pain got so bad after the first couple of hours, I had to give in. Sweetie, it's been almost 5 hours for you and you're only 3 centimeters dilated. You're gonna be in labor for a while."

"I think you should listen to your mother on this." Richard agreed. He hated seeing his little girl in so much pain.

"No!" Sharon insisted. "I'm fine. Really."

Adam had left for about an hour, but arrived in Sharon's room with some food he picked up at a local diner. He got her a veggie burger, fries and chocolate ice cream. His timing was perfect too. Sharon had been starving!

"Adam, you're the best!" Sharon exclaimed as she dug in.

Adam laughed. "You're welcome, sis. Mom said you should eat as much as you possibly can now. You're not gonna be able to eat after they give you the epidural."

"Oh, I already told mom I don't want an epidural." Sharon said as she shook her head.

"Yeah, mom seems to think you're gonna change your mind about that. She says you won't be able to take the pain for much longer. She's been through this 3 times, Sharon. I would take her advice."

"Look, mom doesn't know me as well as she thinks she does. I have a very high tolerance for pain. I mean, you've seen how fast I recover every time I fall down."

"Ouch!" Sharon cried as she felt another huge contraction. She wouldn't admit it, but her insides felt like they were ripping.

"Are you sure you don't want me to get your doctor for you?" Adam asked, feeling concerned about his sister.

"Yes, I'm sure. You already did your part by bringing me food. Now all I need you to do for me is text my friends when I'm getting ready to deliver. You can do that, right?"

Adam nodded. "Of course."

Sharon's family waited all night in the waiting room. Josh, the twins and even Adam had all fallen asleep out there. However, Sharon could not sleep due to all the painful contractions that kept coming. By 7 AM, she had been in labor for 12 hours and was only 5 centimeters dilated. That was when she changed her mind about the epidural. Dr. Hart gave her some fentanyl before injecting Sharon with the epidural needle. About 15 minutes after she received the epidural, she started feeling good.

About 2 hours later, Helen came into Sharon's room.

"Ok, it's been 14 hours and still no baby! I'm only at 6 centimeters! Why is this taking so long?"

"Well Sharon, every baby is different. I was in labor for 16 hours with Josh."

"So you think it'll only be another 2 hours for me?"

"Maybe."

An hour later, Helen went back to the waiting room and Adam was back in Sharon's room. He had his phone on hand in case Dr. Hart said Sharon was ready to deliver and he needed to let her friends know via text. But they were still far from that point.

Adam ended up never needing to text though. Because soon, Maria, Brock, Connor and Alyson all walked into Sharon's room.

"Hey, you guys made it here!" Sharon exclaimed, deliriously happy.

"The doctor gave her an epidural and other pain meds a couple of hours ago. She changed her mind about getting them because of how intense the pain was. So she might be a little loopy right now."

Sharon laughed. "Adam, I'm not loopy! Listen to this guy! I'm just enjoying being in labor right now. I'm having contractions and they don't even hurt anymore!"

"Yeah." Adam said in response.

Alyson approached Sharon. "Don't worry. You'll be holding your baby in your arms before you know it. In the meantime, you can have a laugh thinking about how your water broke on Nina's very expensive shoes! God, I sound so mean right now. I mean, I know Nina's been nice lately. But you know what they say. Karma's a bitch!"

Sharon giggled. She couldn't say she totally disagreed with Alyson. After all, Nina had treated her worse than any of them over the years until very recently. Besides, it's not like she meant for her water to break on Nina's shoes.

Speaking of Nina, she soon arrived with Griffin. And then Tracy came too and entered Sharon's room with Josh.

I hope you don't mind, but I asked Tracy to come." Josh told his sister.

"No, not at all." She replied. She was happy to see her mentee.

"I got you something." Tracy handed Sharon a big teddy bear. "I know you're usually supposed to wait until after the baby is born to give gifts in the hospital. But I didn't want to wait."

"Thank you!" Sharon said, as she smiled and hugged the bear.

"Oh, and we also wanted to tell you that we're officially a couple now!" Josh announced.

"Oh my God! Yay! That is so awesome! I'm so happy for both of you! Am I the world's best matchmaker or what? Not to mention, a pretty good problem fixer too."

Everyone in the room laughed.

Dr. Hart came into the room when Sharon was now going on 17 hours of labor.

"Ok, what's going on?" The teenager asked her doctor. "It's been 17 hours! When's my baby boy gonna get here already?"

"Well, it looks like the wait is finally over." Dr. Hart said.

"You mean...?"

"Yup. You're now 10 centimeters dilated and ready to deliver!"

"Yes!" Sharon cheered as Dr. Hart wheeled her to the delivery room. Clearly, still feeling good from the fentanyl.

Sharon did feel some pain while pushing, but knew it wasn't nearly as bad as it would've been without the epidural. She was also told that her baby was breech, so she had to work even harder.

After an hour of still pushing, Sharon was exhausted and felt like she was ready to give up. Helen was in the room with her.

"Mom, I can't do this anymore! I'm too tired!"

"All mothers feel that way during this process, sweetie."

"No, mom. I'm only 17! I can't do this!"

"Yes, you can." Helen said, as she squeezed her daughter's hand.

Just as Sharon was ready to give in to her desire to give up and fall asleep, a bright light shined in her eye. It had a certain glow to it that just told her it couldn't be from the delivery room. And then she saw someone appear in it. Was that... Alden? It couldn't be. She must've been high from all the pain meds she was on.

"Sharon?" She heard Alden call out to her.

"Alden?" She answered.

"Yes, Sharon. I'm here. I told you I'd be here for you if you got pregnant. You didn't think I'd miss the birth of our son, did you?" He was smiling at her.

"But you died..."

"I know." He sounded sad. "And I really wish I could raise our little boy with you. But I can't. I'll always be with you both in spirit though. I'll make sure you'll know that I'm always there."

Sharon shook her head and cried.

"I don't want to do this anymore. I just want to go and be with you!"

"But you can't. Not physically at least. Our son needs you. He needs his mother."

"But I love you, Alden!"

"I love you too, Sharon." He took her hand. "And I also love the little boy we created together. And I know you love him too. That's why you need to keep pushing. You have to get him out of you."

"I can't do this!"

"Yes, you can. And I'll be by your side the whole time, even if you can't see me. Hell, I've been with you this whole time. You don't have much longer to go until our son is born."

"And you'll always be watching over him?"

"Over both of you. Always." Alden kissed her on the lips and started fading away. "I love you. And I know you'll be a great mother to our son."

"Sharon!" She heard her mom cry out. "Keep pushing. It's almost over!"

"Where did Alden go?" Sharon asked.

"Alden?" Helen asked. Then she shook her head and brushed it off. "Listen, Sharon. I know it hurts and I know you're tired. But just a few more minutes of pain for a lifetime of happiness! So keep going!"

Sharon continued to push and pretty soon, her son had entered the world! The umbilical cord was cut and her baby boy was taken to be cleaned off.

Helen squeezed Sharon's shoulder. "Congratulations honey! You did it! You brought my beautiful grandson into the world!"

"Yeah..." Sharon responded breathlessly. She was still confused by the very vivid daydream she had. Did Alden really come to visit her or did she just imagine that? Nobody else in the room seemed to have seen it. But when the time to hold her newborn baby came, she felt like she was in heaven. It really was worth everything she had been through, just like everyone said it would be.

During Sharon's hospital stay, all her friends and family had come in to see and take turns holding her baby. While they were all great with her little boy, she was especially impressed with how amazing Adam was with holding him. He had definitely come a long way from being the guy that she and Maria had to train to be gentle simply pushing Josh on the swing.

"So did you come up with a name for him?" Adam asked. "I don't think we can continue calling him Baby Boy Spitz forever."

"Yeah." She replied. "I decided to name him Alden Jonah, in honor of his late father. But I'm gonna call him A.J., which is also a nod to you and Josh with the initials. You've both been there for me all these years and were great throughout my pregnancy. It's the least I can do."

Adam and Josh both felt honored and everyone else loved the name too.

Sharon stayed in the hospital with A.J. for a couple of days. While she was there, Alden's family came to visit their newborn grandson and nephew. They were all pleased that Sharon named the baby after Alden. Even Evie came to visit Sharon and A.J. while she was working a shift there. Sharon was very excited when she finally brought A.J. home. And after she had been home with him for a week, his birth certificate arrived in the mail. She felt so proud reading it over.

Name: Alden Jonah Spitz  
Sex: Male  
Date of Birth: May 13, 2006  
Time of Birth: 1:22 PM  
Place of Birth: Elkford, Canada  
Length: 19 inches  
Weight: 6 lbs 7 ounces  
Mother: Sharon Esther Spitz  
Father: Alden Jones

Early in June, graduation day had come for Sharon and her classmates. She had worked it out with the school, so she could finish up all the work at home while taking care of her baby and still graduated on time with the rest of her class.

Sharon was in her room with Maria, wearing the baby blue tank dress that she was gonna wear underneath her graduation gown. She still wasn't quite as small as she was before getting pregnant, but she knew she'd be back to her original size soon and back to her old clothes. Maria had on a similar dress in red. Sharon decided to tell Maria about the daydream she had while giving birth. After all, Maria was raised Catholic and probably knew more about this spiritual stuff than she did.

"And I'm just not sure if I was hallucinating from all the drugs the hospital gave me or if Alden really did come to visit me in a daydream."

"I don't know, Sharon." Maria said finding it hard to believe herself. "But my grandma you met in Rome would say "Tutto e possibile." That means anything is possible."

"Well, I would like to believe he really is watching over us." Sharon said, as she scooped up A.J. from his crib and kissed him on his head.

"I can't believe you're a mom now, Sharon! And he has got to be the most adorable baby I've ever seen!"

"I know, right?" Sharon said with a smile. "Of course, I'm kinda biased there."

Sharon let Maria hold A.J. while she went to fix her hair and check her make-up. Just then, Alyson walked in. She was wearing a pink spaghetti-strapped dress. 

"Hi A.J.! She said in a baby voice and smiled at him. "I can't believe how big you've gotten since your mommy brought you home from the hospital!" Then she turned to Sharon.

"Sharon, you look great! I'd never even know you were pregnant less than a month ago from looking at you now."

"You can totally tell if you look at my boobs though! I can't believe how big they are now."

"Well, you always did want bigger boobs." Maria said. "You have them now! And since they're all natural, you won't have to wear that ridiculous pump-up bra ever again."

"Yeah, who would've known it would take getting pregnant to get the kind of boobs I always wanted? Speaking of, I've been pumping like crazy today. It's what Evie suggested I do to try to prevent milk from leaking through my graduation gown. I really hope that doesn't happen! That would be so humiliating! I bet I'm the only graduate who's breastfeeding too."

Sharon's whole family came to the ceremony and Helen held A.J. the whole time. She did have to take him outside when he got fussy a few times. But for the most part, he was pretty good throughout the ceremony. And was even good while Sharon was called up for her diploma. Her whole family clapped and cheered for her. She was so happy her family was proud of her. And she hoped she could be the kind of mother her son would be proud of too. This made her even more determined to achieve her dream of being a vet one day.

Sharon could also feel Alden's presence at the ceremony with her. She knew he was proud of her too.

She couldn't believe how much A.J. looked like Alden. He had blonde hair just like her, but those blue eyes were all Alden.

Would Sharon ever love another guy again? Possibly. Maybe she'd even go on to get married and have more kids. But she knew Alden was always with her and would watch their son grow over the years. And she knew she'd see him again one day.

Right now, she'd always have A.J. to remember him by. And she loved her son more than anything in the entire world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So we've reached the end of "Always Be My Baby"! Kind of a bittersweet ending since Alden isn't there to raise A.J. with Sharon. But I'd say it's mostly a happy ending since she's now a mom with a son she's going to love for the rest of her life.
> 
> I really want to thank everyone who's read, subscribed, left kudos, reviewed/commented on or PMed me about this story. You're all truly amazing and I loved every piece of feedback I got on this story on all platforms I posted it on. It really meant the world to me! Special thanks goes to Magic713 on this site.
> 
> This was my first longfic and I'm absolutely going to miss writing and updating it. But I'm also excited to get started on my next story. I should have it up in another month or so. It's gonna be called "Misconceptions". Hope you'll all be on the lookout for it! And yes, I'll let Alden live this time!
> 
> Here's to the end of an incredible journey!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Please let me know what you thought in the reviews. I welcome all comments, suggestions, praise, criticism, etc. After all, I can't improve as a writer unless you tell me how! Chapter 2 is coming soon. Merry Christmas to those who celebrate!


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